


Legend of Korra, Child of the Red Lotus

by Rapids_Writing



Series: Legend of Korra, Child of the Red Lotus [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dark, F/F, Found Family, Gen, Multi, Other, Red Lotus (Avatar), Red Lotus AU, Red Lotus Korra, What-If, dark au, unlikely friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 53,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26228065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rapids_Writing/pseuds/Rapids_Writing
Summary: While trying to reconnect to her lost past lives, Korra ends up connecting to a life that never came to be. Seeing through the eyes of another Korra, she witnesses what her life would have been like if the Red Lotus were successful on their mission to capture her as a child.Without Korra there to shape world events, major changes occur, sometimes for better, but often for the worse. Raised as a weapon of the Red Lotus, Korra forms an unlikely bond with P'li, Ghazan and Ming-Hua, which causes a rift when Zaheer reveals his ultimate plan.With few allies and her powers not yet realized, this new Korra will have to bring balance to a world that might not be able to be saved.Contains minor scenes of violence and themes of abuse.
Relationships: Ghazan/Ming-Hua (Avatar), Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Korra/Asami Sato, P'li/Zaheer (Avatar), Pema/Tenzin (Avatar)
Series: Legend of Korra, Child of the Red Lotus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1904944
Comments: 77
Kudos: 204
Collections: The Legend of Korra, The Legend of Korra: Korra x Asami





	1. The Impossible Connection.

**Chapter 1: The Impossible Connection.**

Summer nights in Republic City were Korra's favorite. The cool water of the bay kept it from getting too hot, and the wind rolling over the island kept it from getting too humid. She could keep the windows open all night and not wake up covered in sweat, even on the hottest days of the year.

Of all the places she had traveled, her bedroom on Air Temple Island was where she slept the soundest. Although having Asami curled up next to her certainly helped. Korra was pretty sure she could sleep anywhere as long as she could bury her face in the dark waves of Asamis hair.

Whenever Asami visited, she always brought a red suitcase lined with expensive bottles of lotions, perfumes and shampoos. Korra had witnessed firsthand the rigorous regiment Asami used on her hair every night, and the results were hard to argue with.

Holding Asami in her arms, Korra could smell the subtle mix of ginger and orange from the shampoo she used tonight. As she nuzzled closer, Korra noticed a third flavor lingering on her girlfriend's skin. It was the faint smell of fermented seaweed and crushed sea salt.

Korra couldn’t help but smile, that familiar smell could only mean one thing. It meant Asami was using the facial cream Korra bought her during their last visit to the Southern Water Tribe. As funny as it sounded it smelled like home to her, and here in the dark Korra was perfectly at peace. _Almost at peace_ , she corrected herself.

As it turned out, rubbing her nose against the back of her girlfriend's neck hadn’t been as stealthy as Korra hoped. Asami groaned and shifted, turning around to look at Korra with sleepy eyes.

“Is there something I can help you with?” She whispered, shifting around so she could lay comfortably while facing Korra.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, I guess I was just getting a little nostalgic.”

Korra pulled Asami closer, wrapping her arms tightly around the woman she loved. For a moment the two of them just lay there, enjoying the stillness of the moment.

Eventually Korra spoke, pulling Asami into an ever tighter hug. “I think I have been feeling a little bit off again. Not nearly as bad as last time, but just a little strange.”

Asami squirmed away and sat up, a look of genuine concern on her face. “Is it something new or something old? If you think it’s something serious we should tell Jinora before we-”

Korra laughed softly, and waved her hand at Asami, signaling for her to calm down. “This is nothing to get worked up about I promise. I can just feel a little spiritual tug coming from somewhere. This is nothing Jinora and I can’t handle. Honestly it might not even be spiritual, it could just be my nerves.”

Korra leaned in and gave Asami a reassuring kiss on the forehead, and just like that the worry melted from her face.

“You know sunrise is only a few hours away, if you can’t get back to sleep I could really go for a cup of tea and a nice walk around the island.” The playful tone in her voice was wickedly inviting, even when compared to soft sheets of their bed.

“I think that sounds perfect.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

By taking small calculated sips, Korra managed to make her tea last for the entire walk around the island. The flavor was a delicate peach with a small hint of honey, and the warmth was perfect when combating the early morning chill.

The two walked in silence, only stopping to enjoy the view of Republic City as it slowly began to wake up. The neon signs of nightclubs flicked off one by one, replaced by the dim headlights of commuters on their way to their morning shifts.

Sunlight finally started to emerge from over the ring of mountains, bathing the whole island in a familiar orange glow. The morning of the summer solstice had begun.

With their morning walk over, they returned the now empty tea cups to the kitchen, and walked out into the courtyard of the temple. Surprisingly, they found Jinora there, already hard at work preparing for today's little experiment.

“How long have you been at this? Did you at least try to get some sleep?”

It was odd to see Jinora wearing something other than her wingsuit, since she practically lived in it otherwise. Today however she was clad in a very old airbender robe, the dark red and gold noticeably different from the casual robes worn by the acolytes. Around her neck she wore a carved wooden necklace, adorned with the spiral symbols and bright yellow beads. 

Jinora stood up and slid into a long stretch to ease the muscles in her back. Apparently she had been hunched over the large blanket for quite some time.

“I started at midnight, there is a lot of tradition in this ritual and I don’t want a single thing to go wrong. I am following those old scrolls to the exact letter.” She let out a long yawn and stretched her arms out in front of her, letting her long sleeves billow in the wind. 

In the center of the courtyard, laid out on the massive yellow blanket, was easily over a hundred tiny handmade toys. Each one coated in a thick layer of dust from neglect, these were the relics used whenever a new avatar was born. 

“I remember these, I had to pick four to prove I was the Avatar.” Korra said as she walked around the blanket, looking over each ancient item one by one.

“Although that was just a formality right? You were already bending before you could walk if I remember correctly?” Asami teased as she took her seat on one of the nearby stone benches. 

Korra laughed this off, once again waving a dismissive hand at Asami. “Never hurts to double check I guess.” The White Lotus was not a group to take tradition lightly, they grilled Korra for weeks even after seeing what she was capable of.

Jinora lit four sticks of incense, placing each one in a bowl by the edges of the blanket. Jinora raised her hands in preparation, closing her eyes and taking slow even breaths to center herself. Opening one eye, she glanced at Korra, who was getting a little distracted as she inspected the array of toys.

“Do you want to start now Korra? I know I feel ready, but this is all up to you.”

Shrugging, Korra took her place across from Jinora. “As much as I think this isn’t going to work, I am willing to try and be open minded. I told myself that if I believe this is going to fail, then it will. So let’s just give it our best shot and see what happens.”

Korra crossed her legs and took a deep breath, trying to match the steady rise and fall of Jinora’s. Slowly at first, Jinora started to move her arms in careful circles, moving the air and the smoke from the incense. With each pass of her hands, the smoke formed a spiral, twisting up into the sky where they dissolved into nothing.

Korra could feel the spirit energy lingering on the relics in front of her, in the breathing of Jinora, and the ever present pull of the city behind her. In and out, in and out, she let her lungs fill with another crisp flood of morning air.

When she was ready, Korra sat up, took a few steps around the blanket and made her first choice. She tried not to think about it too hard, just to go with whatever her hands wanted to pick. 

The memory of the first ritual was already a blur in her mind. She had been a child at the time, there were a bunch of strangers in the room, and there were a bunch of toys she wasn’t allowed to play with. The exact four toys she ended up with didn’t exactly stand out when she looked back on it.

Korra returned to her cushion, and set down the four relics that spoke to her the most.

Looking down she saw a small clay turtle missing a flipper, a wooden hog monkey, a tiny hand drum, and a worn out red necklace. 

With the ritual complete, Jinora slowed her movements and let out one long breath, snuffing out the incense and sending the smoke flying in all directions.

After a few moments had passed, Asami nervously called out, “Is that it? Is it over?”

Jinora turned and gave Asami a reassuring nod. “That was it. Not much in the scrolls about what to do after it’s done.”

Eager to see the results, Asami dashed over to Korra, and promptly sat down next to her. “So what did you pick? Does it mean anything?” Asami looked over the four relics, unsure of their significance. 

At first, Korra was pleased with her selection, until she looked up and saw the befuddled look on Jinora's face. “I picked the wrong ones didn’t I?” Korra let out a long sigh. She thought she was prepared for this outcome, but now that it was here it still managed to sting.

It had taken a long time for her to come to terms with losing her connection to her past lives. However, it seemed like she had managed to cling onto some last little strand of hope in the back of her mind. Maybe, just maybe there was a way to re-establish the connection and bring her past lives back. It was a long shot but this ritual was all Jinora could find in terms of spiritual-

It wasn’t until Jinora finally spoke that Korra snapped back to reality. “No actually, you got it mostly right.” Now that was something Korra wasn’t expecting to hear.

“I did?” Korra had to actively keep the excitement out of her voice.

Jinora sat down next to the two of them, prodding the items with one finger as if she had to confirm that they were really there. “The turtle, the hog monkey and the drum are all correct, but the necklace isn’t anything special according to the scrolls.”

“So... what does that mean? Am I partially connected to my past lives? Was this their way of speaking to me?”

An uncomfortable grimace grew on Jinora's face, as she tried to find the words to describe what had just happened. “If I was speaking from a purely scientific standpoint, the results would be considered inconclusive. If you got it all right or all wrong we would know for sure. But as of right now? There are just too many factors at play. This could have been a lucky guess, or maybe you partially remembered the last time you did this, or… Well I just don’t know, I can’t tell what this means.”

The three of them sat there in silence, Asami placing a hand on Korra's shoulder to offer some comfort. A tiny bubble of anger started to swell inside Korra’s mind. If it had been a definitive yes or no, she would at least know where she stood. It was the not knowing that infuriated her. If she knew for a fact that she could never reconnect with Aang or Wan, at the very least she could start to move on. The slim chance that she could bring them back was less of a comfort and more of a nagging splinter that she refused to live with. Korra just wanted a clear answer for once.

Jinora reached for the red necklace, holding it delicately between two fingers. “If your past lives were actually trying to send you a message, maybe we should look at the one thing that doesn’t fit in.”

Like a spider dangling from a string, the red necklace hung in the air, offering no answers, only more questions. 

It was recognizably fire nation, based on the soft red fabric and the hints of gold paint that had long rubbed off. The small glass bead in the center, and the low quality of the stitching implied that this was not a piece of royal jewelry, more likely originating from a poorer region. While still worn with age, it was clearly not as old as any of the other relics, likely less than a hundred years old. 

Chewing on one nail, Asami chimed in, “What if this was left for you by a past life… Avatar Roku maybe? He was the most recent fire bender in the cycle. I know you haven’t had any luck contacting him but maybe with this it might unlock something.”

Korra held out her hand, and Jinora gave the necklace over to its rightful owner. Turning it in her hand, Korra could feel a slight warmth emanating from the old keepsake, and a faint pulse of spirit energy.

“That tug I was feeling… I think it was coming from this. Whatever the universe was trying to tell me it has something to do with this necklace.” 

That flicker of hope appeared yet again, but this time it’s sting started to lessen. There was now a clue, and even if it led nowhere, Korra was happy there was now more for her to do than just sit around.  
Confident, she turned to Jinora, clenching the necklace triumphantly in her fist. “Alright then, what do you propose we do next?”

“We should meditate on it’s meaning.” Jinora replied.

It seemed the next step was to just sit around. With a sigh, Korra followed Jinora to the pagoda where they usually meditated. 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Asami sat across from the two, a small stack of notebooks in hand. While she would occasionally join Korra in a little light meditation, she had never experienced anything overtly spiritual while doing so. While Korra tried to unlock the secrets of the necklace, Asami was going to get some of her work done. She was drawing up some structural patterns for new plane wings and sessions with Jinora could often go on for hours.

In the center of the pagoda, Korra and Jinora sat across from one another, focusing on the necklace in Korra’s lap. The noise from the city was drowned out by the crashing waves and the steady winds around Air temple island. The only noise nearby was the soft scratching of Asami’s pencil, luckily, Korra was used to the sound, and was undisturbed.

Since losing her connection to the past Avatars, visiting this place had always felt the same. Just a large empty void with only one voice echoing inside. In her mind's eye, she was alone. Far off she could sense Jinora's energy but Korra was somewhere she couldn’t follow.

The chain linking her to Aang was broken, shattered into dust that settled all around her. When she reached out for guidance, there was no one but herself.

That was when it struck her, Korra was the only one here, yet somehow she was not alone. Looking towards the distance, where there had once been hundreds of Avatars watching over her, there was only an empty space. Korra turned around in frantic circles, searching for whoever was here with her.

All she could see was her own eyes staring back through a hazy reflection. Slowly at first, like sand settling to the bottom of a pool of water, the image became clearer. Korra wasn’t alone, there was a second Korra looking back at her, familiar yet changed.

The new Korra had several striking differences. She had her hair pulled back into a tight bun, her face touched lightly with new scars and her bruised hands clenched into tight fists.

She was crying slow soft tears that dripped down her face and onto her tattered brown tunic. The look in her eyes was both pained and furious. There was an aura about her that felt uncomfortably familiar. It was the sensation of a long dormant anger that Korra had tried her hardest to forget.

Who was she? She couldn’t be from a past life, yet the feeling was nearly the same. It was as if Aang was standing right in front of her, wearing someone else's skin.

“Do I know you?” Korra asked, her voice unsure.

The new Korra didn’t respond, merely holding out one hand. When she unclenched her fist, the necklace was there, torn in the back as if it had just been ripped right off someone’s neck.

“Do you have something you want to show me?” 

The new Korra nodded, and she took a cautious step to one side. Behind her was a shimmering pool of energy, opening to a familiar snowy landscape.

This didn’t feel like a trap, or any sort of spirit trickery. Korra did her best to center herself, and she took a step forward. As she entered the pool, a haze washed over her. She had experienced this before when Aang showed her visions of his past. How was this possible? These were visions given to her by herself. Was there something inside her that she needed to relive? Or was this something entirely new?

The only way Korra could get the answers she wanted was to keep moving forward. With another step, she passed through the gate and became one with the memory. She was both an observer and somehow a participant all at once. Unsure of what would come next, Korra waited, and she listened. The weight of another world coming crashing down on her shoulders.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

This was the tundra of the Southern Water Tribe, a place Korra had spent her childhood exploring with Naga. She was so much smaller now, and her body felt limp. There was a desperate side to side motion as if she was being carried by someone running at full speed.

As she struggled to take in her surroundings, Korra looked up at the swirling night sky. _Why can’t I see any spirit lights_? She asked herself.

There was a blanket swaddling her, wrapped tightly around her legs and arms so she could not move. A looming shadow held her tightly to their chest and a violent warmth spread from the contact. With the fog still clouding her head, Korra couldn’t make out the face above her.

Korra was no more than five at most, somehow a child again. In her ears there was a terrible ringing. The air filled with a thundering noise that went as quickly as it came. It was short and sharp like the banging of a tight drum, _pop, pop, pop._ One after another. The first pop in the chain sent shivers down Korra’s spine as it faded away like a canyon echo.

In the distance she could almost hear people shouting, and the sounds of a struggle getting lost in the roaring winter winds. It was difficult to keep her eyes open, and she could barely make sense of what she was experiencing. 

“The boat is just over that ridge! I know we can make it!” A gruff voice called out, clearly straining to catch his breath.

Another _pop, pop, pop_ and a bright flash of light. Was someone firebending?

There was an unmistakable feeling of falling, as the stranger carrying Korra leapt into the air, only to be caught by a great avalanche of snow. Someone was waterbending them to safety.

The stranger landed on the curved floor of a small boat, and wrapped their arms around Korra defensively. Just then, needle like shards of ice rained down from the sky and landed all around them.

The stranger stood up, and with one last _pop, pop, pop_ the incoming attack stopped. There was a rush of water and the boat took off with incredible speed. Korra couldn’t quite make out what was happening, but someone was clearly moving the boat with their bending, pushing the waves back and rocketing the tiny vessel forward.

The muscles holding onto her relaxed, and Korra was finally set down on the bottom of the boat, her wrapping coming loose. She could move freely again, but she could barely muster the strength.

With watering eyes, Korra looked around, at the four people in the boat with her. It was utterly alien to see people this large, she was seeing them from the perspective of a child.

Four people, two men, two women, all dressed in all black with cloth face coverings. One woman kept to the back, bending the water to keep the boat moving, the two men sat on either side of the boat, taking deep lungfuls of air as if they had been running for their lives.

The tallest member of the group, gently reached out a hand to help Korra to her feet, the rocking of the boat was a serious threat to the stability of her new tiny legs.

“Is she unhurt? We need her unharmed.” The gruff voice spoke again. His voice was forceful and uncomfortably familiar.

“She’s fine, we just need to keep moving.” the tall woman spoke, her voice just as cold and stern as the mans. Korra knew she had met her before, but the unknown haze keeping her from speaking out.

The gruff man removed her face covering, revealing his triumphant smile. “It seems this is the beginning of a new era for us. The Red Lotus finally has the key to a truly untethered world.”

It all fell into place. Korra knew what her vision was trying to show her. This was not a memory of a past life, this was a memory of a life that never came to pass. This was a world where the Red Lotus had been successful in that mission they tried to carry out so long ago. Korra tried to scream in anger, but she was not in control of her body, merely watching through her own eyes. The Korra of this world knew nothing of the four strangers who had just kidnapped her, and could not fight back.

A young Zaheer looked down at Korra with something far darker than malice in his eyes.

“We have big plans for you young Avatar.”


	2. The First Compromise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of Tenzin, Korra forms a plan.
> 
> She returns to the alternate version of herself, and an unexpected ally is found.

**Chapter 2: The First Compromise.**

****

With a violent snap, Korra returned to her own body. A scream caught in her throat, making it impossible to breathe.

The voices of Jinora and Asami sounded distant and muffled as she doubled over in pain. Returning from this vision had hurt her deeply, the complete opposite of when Aang spoke to her. It was as if returning to the normal world took a considerable amount of effort and her body was reacting to the whiplash.

Slowly, the pain receded and she could breathe freely. She was laying flat on her back, Asami was wiping the sweat off Korra's face with a lace handkerchief. Asami was twisted with fear, unsure of what had happened and unsure of what to do next. Korra had seen this look far too many times on the faces of people she loved. 

“I am alright, it just took a bit of effort to…To wake myself up.” She was lying, Korra felt like she had been hit in the gut with a flying rock, but she didn't want Asami to worry any more than she already had. 

Asami helped Korra to her feet, while Jinora ran to fetch some help. 

“How long was I out?”

Asami gave her a confused look, “Only a few seconds to me. I saw you close your eyes, the next second it looked like you were choking. “

“I didn’t mean to scare you, it was just a bit of a shock coming out of… well, coming back from whatever it was I saw.” Korra said.

That awful look still wouldn’t leave Asami’s face. She reached down and took Korra's hand in her own. She squeezed gently, and took quite a lot of time before she let go. 

Korra shifted closer until their foreheads were touching.

“I’m not going anywhere, you don’t have to worry about me.”

After a moment, Asami collected herself and spoke, clearly trying to maintain an even tone of voice. “So um… where exactly did you go?”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

When Jinora returned with Tenzin in tow, Korra sat them all down to explain what she saw. They had convened in one of the smaller side rooms, to be alone while they spoke.

Tenzin rolled the red necklace back and forth between his fingers.

He hadn’t spoken a word while Korra shared her vision, and his eyes burned with an unusual intensity. Very slowly, he said, “I was present when Korra first took her test, and I know the significance of every single relic in that ritual. This necklace isn’t one of them.”

Asami bolted up from her seat at the small wooden table, betraying just how panicked she really was.

“So it’s some sort of trick right? Someone put it there with the rest of the relics! It has to be some sort of spiritual booby trap or a- or a- well…”

She came to an abrupt stop as Korra took her hand, and gently pulled her back down into her seat. Asami took a deep breath as she tried to avoid any eye contact.

“I know spirit energy, and the necklace wasn’t anything malevolent. Whatever happened had to do with my own Avatar spirit. I could feel the difference.” Korra didn’t let go of Asami’s hand.

Tenzin set the necklace down in the center of the table cautiously, as if it were a creature about to scurry away.

“The thing is, I already know where this necklace came from, it was found on the body of a Red Lotus agent.”

Korra could feel her body tensing up at the very mention of the Red Lotus. She tried her best to keep a neutral expression as Tenzin finished his explanation.

“The day after Zaheer was defeated, there was an emergency meeting of the White Lotus in Zaofu. We went over everything we knew, and made arrangements to construct a new jail for Zaheer.”

Tenzin leaned forward, rubbing his forehead in confusion.

“After that we went to collect the bodies and search for any remaining clues in their mountain base. Thanks to that lava bender we couldn’t recover much… but on the peak…”

Korra chimed in, already knowing what Tenzin was going to say.

“The combustion bender, this was hers wasn’t it?”

Solemnly, Tenzin nodded. “Yes, we buried her, and placed whatever belongings she had on her in an evidence box back in Zaofu. That necklace was found on her, she had it in one of her pockets.” Tenzin ran a finger along the jagged tear on the back, it couldn’t be worn due to the damage.

“So how did it end up with the other relics this morning?” Korra asked, looking over at Jinora, who had been reading a stack of reports brought in by her father.

“Oh uh… As far as I can tell it was already in the box when I started laying out the relics. The box was locked up in the temple, and based on how dusty it was, no one has touched it in a long time. I don’t think it could have ended up there without leaving behind evidence.”

What had originally been an exciting clue was now another frustrating dead end. Korra did her best to formulate a plan, not content to let this go.

“Well then, I have a favor to ask of you Tenzin. Could you make a request with the White Lotus to check that evidence box? If the necklace is gone then we will know that someone planted it here for me to find. Meanwhile, I think Jinora and I should try and find out more about this other me. We could try meditating to-”

Asami shot Korra a frantic look before blurting out, “You can’t be serious, you can’t go back there and expect to stay safe! This has got to be some sort of trap!”

There it was again, the pain hiding in her eyes was coming back up to the surface.

“I know I scared you the last time, but now I know what to expect, and if we focus Jinora can always bring me back without the same level of stress.”

The room was quiet, both Jinora and Tenzin pretended to be very interested in some ceiling tiles so they wouldn’t have to say anything. Asami bit at her lip, the worried look staying firm on her face.

“I just feel that- Well what I mean to say is, that I don’t like the idea of you jumping into danger when I can’t contribute. It’s not that I don’t trust you or Jinora, it’s just that I am not comfortable with being such a dead weight on this mission.”

Korra couldn’t help but smile, and she placed both of her hands on Asami’s shoulders.

“You know, when I wake up, Seeing your face is going to be the perfect thing to ground me. Just being near me is more than enough.”

She meant every word, just the thought of Zaheer was enough to bring up bad memories. When she needed to re center herself there was no one she’d rather have as an anchor than Asami.

With a deep breath, Asami nodded. “I could keep an eye on you from the physical world. Keep you two hydrated, bring you snacks…” She trailed off, struggling to think of additional ways to help.

“You don’t have to do anything besides sit next to me. If this is some sort of trap I like the idea of you as my bodyguard.”

For the first time since their morning walk, Asami started to relax. That horrible look of fear cracking just a little. 

“I’ll do my best, you can count on that.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

This time, they sat together in the main chamber of the temple. Korra and Jinora rested on two large cushions in the center of the room, while Asami paced near the door. Korra hadn’t said anything, but she noticed that Asami was now wearing her custom chi blocking glove. 

Oddly enough Korra was barely worried about returning to the other world, in fact she almost felt excited. The possibility of getting answers outweighed the potential danger, and that was enough for Korra right now.

In and out, in and out. Korra and Jinora calmed their breathing, and focused on the red necklace. Back inside her mind, Korra could feel the pull of the gate. Something else was there this time, flickering like a bug caught in a net. It was Jinora, she was close but she couldn’t get through to the gate.

“Korra! If things get bad I can try and pull you out but I am not sure how strong the pull is going to be! Don’t go too far if you think you can’t come back!” Her voice was fragmented, like she was speaking to Korra through a broken radio.

“I’ll do my best.” With that, Korra once again stepped through the portal.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

She was still in the body of a child, and her body still felt weak. Had the Red Lotus drugged her? Whatever it was, it was starting to fade away, but not enough for her to fight back.

It was dark where they were keeping her, a cave perhaps. Underneath her boots Korra could feel the rocky uneven ground. Dim firelight cast long shadows, hiding the faces of the looming figures around her. Far off in the distance, Korra could swear she heard the crashing of massive waves.

“She’s waking up, do we have any food to give her?” a voice whispered.

“The rations were on our other boat, we had to take the back up.” another snapped back.

“There should be enough here for another week, after that we can risk a supply run to a nearby island.” Zaheer spoke, his voice the clearest.

Korra did her best to stand up, the world still unstable around her.

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder, and out of the darkness she saw P’li’s face.

“Don’t strain yourself, just stay put.” It wasn’t intended to be comforting, it was more of a command.

Finding her voice, Korra spoke, “No! I don’t want to be here! I don’t wanna!” A voice much younger and higher pitched came out, the words not of her choosing. This was the other Korra, she was once again merely watching through these eyes.

“Keep her quiet, these caves can echo if you aren’t careful.” Zaheer spoke, not even looking at Korra.

P’li let out a sigh and knelt down, so Korra could see her massive frame blocking her from running away.

“We need to stay put, the bad men are looking for you right now. If you wait we can take you somewhere safe where they can't get to you.” She spoke in an even tone, like she was trying to soothe a wild animal.

“No! I want my mom and my dad! I want Naga!” The child Korra shouted, even louder this time. P’li placed a hand over Korra’s mouth, and another hand grabbed at her neck.

“If you are too loud, the bad men might find you and hurt you. Let me be very clear, the less noise you make the less hurt you will be.” The younger Korra might not have understood the subtext, but the older Korra knew. P’li was threatening her.

With a nod, Korra stopped her shouting, and slumped back down to the cavern floor. With a hiccup, she started to cry as quietly as she could manage.

“I want my mom, I want my dad… I want- I want Naga.” She muttered to herself.

P’li frowned, and patted the fabric of her clothing. Eventually, she found what she was looking for and brought out a small leather pouch. She untied the draw string and pulled out a small scrap of smoked jerky.

“Eat, it will make you feel better.” The command was short and to the point.

At first, Korra refused, but P’li shoved the jerky in her face until she took a bite.

“Good girl, once you finish that we’ll get you some water.”

The jerky was tough and practically flavorless, and it failed to stop the rumbling in her stomach. The waterbender, who Korra now recognized as Ming-Hua, emerged from the shadows. A single orb of water floated down from her tendril arms in front of Korra’s face.

For a split second, Korra considered bending the water, throwing it right in P’li’s face… but she was not in control of this body.

Wiping tears out of her eyes, young Korra took hold of the water and drank it as best she could. The water was thick with the taste of iron and dirt, Ming-Hua must have been using some sort of cave water dripping from the ceiling.

Time passed, the small fire nearly going out save for a few embers. Once her eyes adjusted to the dark, Korra could see that the fire was actually a small pool of lava, that Ghazan would re-melt every few minutes. It provided heat and light without much smoke, and didn’t need much fuel to keep burning.

Zaheer was gone, no doubt somewhere close by in the dark of the cave. Ghazan would occasionally get up and patrol somewhere else, only returning to re-melt the lava pool. Ming-Hua would return every few hours, dropping small cave fish in a stone hole dug for her by Ghazan, these were probably going to be their dinner based on what Korra had overheard.

P’li however was unmoving, staring at Korra with such intensity, she didn’t even seem to blink. Korra thought back to pictures she had seen of Wolfbats, and in the darkness of the cave, the resemblance was uncanny.

This woman was a giant, and she had all the features of an ambush predator. There was something in the steady patience that made her look so remarkably terrifying. In the dim light, Korra could almost make out the eye tattoo on her forehead, marking her a combustion bender. Perhaps that was what frightened Korra the most, it was the three sets of eyes locked onto her without mercy.

Time passed, and Zaheer reappeared, silent as a ghost.. Even before he could airbend, he was moved like he was nothing more than a breeze.

“Night has fallen, and no ships have passed by this place. I think we can rest here without worry.” Zaheer took his place in the semi circle around the fire pit, resting his hands on his knees.

With a disturbing level of accuracy, Ming-Hua sliced the fishes open one after another. Her makeshift hands forming long knives of ice, perfect for cutting the bones out piece by piece.

Throughout the meal, no one spoke. Korra wasn’t sure if they were keeping silent so she couldn’t overhear any of their plans, or if they were all just tired from the night before.

As she ate the cooked fish, Korra muttered a question with her voice dangerously close to tears, “When can I see my family again?”

The four adults exchanged a series of wordless glances. After a moment, it was Zaheer who answered.

“Your family was lying to you Korra. I am sorry that you have to hear this but you weren’t safe with them. Not your parents, and not with the White Lotus.”

This was a lie, and Korra knew this. She wanted to scream out in anger, but all she could do was watch as this universe’s Korra took in what she was being told.

“The White Lotus said I was the Avatar, and that I had a responsibility to the whole wide world. They weren’t lying about that were they?” The confusion was thick in Korra’s voice.

Zaheer leaned in, his face a mask of false sympathy.

“You are the Avatar, but the White Lotus wanted to control you. They planned to lock you up and never let you go. They were going to keep you from your destiny so they could control you. This is what people with power do, they seek more power and take if for-”

With an obvious fake cough, P’li signaled for Zaheer to let her step in. He gave her a nod and crossed his arms.

“What we are trying to tell you, is that you were in danger with those people. If you stayed with your parents you wouldn’t be safe.” P’li placed a hand on her chest, the worry on her face dangerously close to being genuine. “That's why we rescued you, we wanted to keep you safe.”

 _No, don’t listen to them._ Korra felt like there was a wall of glass between her and her child self, no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t break through.

Just as Korra was about to open her mouth to speak, a long lonely howl echoed through the cave. Each of the adults leapt up, all taking on an aggressive stance.

Ghazan held a spinning group of stones between his hands, already heating up from the friction. Ming-Hua used her arms to cling to the ceiling like a giant spider, ready to drop down on any attacker. Zaheer stayed in the shadows, two wicked looking knives slide out of his sleeves and into his hands.

P’li however took a powerful stance in front of Korra, one hand keeping her from moving.

They stood there in the dark, the fire already put out by a well placed orb of water from Ming-Hua. The cave was deathly quiet, save only for the soft breathing of each agent.

There it was again, a plaintive howl from some beast at the cave’s entrance. A flicker of recognition flared up in Korra’s mind, and she called out loudly, “Naga?”

P’li grabbed the fabric of Korra’s coat and pushed her down forcefully, “Stay quiet, we could be in a lot of danger right now.” 

Wriggling with all her might, Korra slipped out of her coat and bolted between P’li’s legs, running full speed towards the entrance.

“It’s Naga! She came to find me!” Before she could even make it halfway, a tendril of water slithered around her torso and lifted her into the air. At this age, Korra wasn’t the strongest bender, but she was more than skilled enough to slice the tentacle in half, allowing her to drop down and escape.

Thundering footsteps chased after her, but Korra kept running. The cool evening light of the exit was just ahead, and she burst back into the outside world. She was standing on the beach of a small rocky island. It was small enough that Korra could look left, then right and have seen more than half of the island.

There was a hunched figure emerging from the water, four heavy paws carrying her closer. Her fur was soaked wet and she was shaking from exhaustion, but as soon as she saw Korra, a wave of excited energy shot through her body.

“Naga!” Korra leapt through the air and collided with the polar bear dog in a desperate hug. Naga ran around in excited circles while Korra clung to her side. Inside her mind, Korra couldn’t help but smile, it was oddly nostalgic to see Naga as a pup again, now only the size of a large child.

Korra got down on all fours and joined Naga in her joyful jaunt, chasing her across the beach and barking back as loudly as she could.

 _Pop, pop, pop._ The sand next to Korra erupted in an explosion, knocking Naga over and sending particles of sand into the air.

“Korra, get away from that thing!” P’li roared, a look of pure fury on her face. Naga bared her teeth and let out a vicious growl. P’li adopted a firm stand and took aim at the polar bear dog. She was going to kill Naga.

“No! Don’t hurt her!” Korra dove in between them, grabbing onto Nagas neck with both hands. She could feel Naga’s growl vibrating through her entire body.

The rest of the Red Lotus ran out onto the beach, weapons and bending at the ready. Zaheer let out a confused gasp, “The Avatar’s spirit animal… it followed us all the way here…”

“Korra you need to move.” P’li demanded, the air around her practically shimmering with heat as she readied the next blast.

“No! This is Naga! She’s my dog and you can’t hurt her!” Korra screamed. She was already crying and a stream of hot tears fell off her face and landed in Naga’s fur.

Ghazan and Ming-Hua relaxed, looking at Zaheer for what to do next. Zaheer didn’t move, clearly thinking up how best to handle this.

Slowly at first, the fury started to fade from P’li’s face. Her eyes darted back and forth, and worry replaced the final traces of anger.

“P’li, take the shot, kill that thing.” Zaheer spoke, his words cold and direct.

“But-...” P’li looked conflicted, and her stance visibly relaxed. “This is her pet. If we want her to-”

“Kill it.” Zaheer snapped, not breaking eye contact with Korra.

P’li didn’t move, and when she spoke her words were measured but firm. “We need her on our side. We can’t do that if we kill the only family she has left.”

Korra ran her hands through Naga’s mane, trying to calm her down, but she kept growling with unwavering intensity.

Zaheer slowly turned to face P’li, his face and voice devoid of emotion. “This is going to be a liability, animals can’t be controlled and it’s going to end poorly for all of us. If you want her to keep her pet, you’ll have to promise me you won’t hesitate to put it down when the time comes.”

P’li nodded, her face grim. “I won’t hesitate.” 

Without another word, Zaheer walked back into the cave, Ghazan and Ming-Hua followed.

“Just make sure that thing doesn’t bite your fingers off P’li.” The waterbender called back as she vanished into the dark.

Korra buried her face in Naga’s fur, crying heavily until she couldn’t anymore. P’li sat cross legged in the sand across from them. Eventually, Naga stopped growling and curled up into a ball around Korra.

Seaweed and plant debris were knotted into Naga’s fur, and she was panting violently from her journey. “You must have swam all the way here just to find me… I’m so happy you came.” Korra whispered into Naga’s ear. 

“Naga can stay if you want, but she has to behave.” P’li called out, still unwilling to get close to the animal. In response, Naga let out a soft growl, and Korra had to scratch under her chin until she stopped.

“I’ll make sure she behaves.” 

“Good, because if she bites any of us, we’ll have to leave her behind.”

The three of them sat there on the beach long enough for Naga to fall asleep. Korra laid on top of Naga, her clothes now soaking wet from the prolonged contact. P’li sat as still as a statue, her pants coated in sand.

The moon was barely a sliver in the sky, and thick clouds hid the stars from view. The night was dark and terribly still. The other three agents emerged from the cave, what few supplies they had packed and ready to go.

“We need to get going before the sun is up. We should move while it’s dark and hide while it’s light.” Zaheer said, handing a knapsack to P’li. He paused for a moment, placing his hand on hers. His expression turned soft as he whispered something to her that Korra could not hear.

Ghazan bent the earth away from the side of the cliff, revealing where they had hidden the boat, and with some effort he dragged it back down to the shoreline.

P’li took a few cautious steps towards Korra, “I want Naga to know that I am not a stranger, what can I do to show her that I’m a friend?”

Korra thought for a moment, hand on her chin. “She likes fish jerky…”

P’li let out a short breath, a laugh maybe? She opened up her knapsack and pulled out a scrap from tonight's dinner. “Will this do?”

Korra scrunched up her brow and pretended to inspect the fish with a critical eye. “Naga has a very sensitive tongue, but I think she’ll make an exception if I ask her real nice.”

There it was, a small genuine laugh from P’li. “I’ll get her some nicer fish next time. I promise.”

Korra shook Naga awake, who started sniffing the air as she lifted her head up. Upon seeing P’li so close, she let out another growl. “No! It’s ok. This Puhlee! She wants to be your friend.” Korra said, accidentally mispronouncing P’li’s name.

Naga took a few cautious sniffs of the fish, and with a sharp bite, snatched it from P’li’s hand. To her credit, she didn’t flinch.

“Try giving her a pat on the head! She likes that.”

P’li shuffled a bit closer, and offered the back of her hand to Naga, who sniffed it curiously. After Naga returned to a relaxed position, P’li leaned in and gently pet the polar bear dog on the top of her head. Naga let out a short growl but didn’t react beyond that. P’li scratched a bit harder, reaching behind Naga’s ear, and this time there was no growl.

P’li let out a sigh of relief, giving Naga a few more pets before standing back up. “Do you think she can make it to the boat with us? That way she won’t have to swim anymore.”

Korra followed after P’li, calling for Naga to join them. With great effort, Naga limped up the beach and towards the boat.

The other three agents watched suspiciously as P’li and Korra lifted Naga up into the front of the boat. “Now hold onto her tightly, we don’t want her running around and rocking the boat.”

“Yes miss Puhlee.” Korra said, snuggling up against Naga as she got comfortable for the trip.

The small smile that had been on P’li’s face faded, and she nodded to let Zaheer know they were ready. With a push from Ming-Hua, the boat took off, gliding across the dark water and into the distance.

Curled up on the floor of the boat, wrapped in the salty smelling fur of Naga, Korra started to feel drowsy. The rocking of the boat eventually did the trick and she drifted off to sleep.


	3. The Black Cliffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra has a heart to heart with her family.
> 
> In her dreams, another Korra makes a new friend.

**Chapter 3: The Black Cliffs**

****

  
Returning to her own body, the same pain as before shot through Korra. She clenched her fists and did her best not to fall over.

The pain flickered up and down her body, emanating from her forehead and shooting out to the tips of her fingers and toes. She sucked in a deep gasp of air, and the world came back into focus.

True to her word, Asami was right there beside. She rubbed the small of Korra’s back, and held her hand until the pain faded away.

Asami’s voice had a vulnerable edge to it as she spoke. “If this is going to happen every time you do this, it might not be the healthiest thing for you.”

Jinora was taking short shallow breaths, a bead of sweat dripping down her cheek. “I-I couldn’t follow you, like there was something getting in the way…” There was a flicker of fear in Jinora’s eyes, and Korra reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, it’s ok.” More than anything else, Korra knew how awful it felt to give your all to something only to get nowhere. She wanted to make sure Jinora knew that she wasn’t disappointed.

Korra stood up, only to stumble back down to her knees. Asami let out a yelp and grabbed ahold of her girlfriend. Before Korra could try to come up with an excuse, Asami held up a single finger and said, “Don’t try to play this off, you are done with this for today. No arguing.”

She practically dragged Korra out of the temple and down the hall to her bedroom, leaving a confused Jinora behind in the dust.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, reaching out to her other self was exhausting. Spending the rest of the day in bed with Asami fretting over her didn’t sound half bad. The rest of the day went by in a blur, the most interesting thing to happen was a short debate over Asami attempting to buy Korra a whole boat stocked with soup.

By that evening, Korra was feeling perfectly fine, although she had failed to convince Asami of that. With most of the kids staying in the Southern Air temple, the only ones who joined them for dinner were Tenzin, Pema, Jinora.

Pema tried her best to keep the mood light, talking about the letters she received in the mail this week. However, there was a noticeable haze over everyone else. Jinora fiddled with her rice, still upset from this afternoon. Tenzin stabbed his dumplings over and over, mulling over what new danger was coming their way. Asami was acting so overprotective, Korra had to stop her from spoon feeding her warm broth more than once.

Eventually, Korra slammed her fist down on the table, and made her feelings known.

“Today was an unusual day for everybody. I get that, ok? But from where I stand this is a good thing. I haven’t been able to connect to my past lives in years, even if I never get that back, at least this is something new!”

She looked around the room, at the worried faces of her family, and took a deep breath before continuing. 

“If this is some Red Lotus trick, we’ll figure it out and get rid of it. I mean, this might not even be the work of the Red Lotus! My gut is telling me that this might be part of my own spirit. I can’t explain why but I know this is something important I have to do.”

Korra trailed off, slurping the rest of her broth until there was nothing left. She slammed the empty bowl back down on the table and finished her speech.

“It’s ok to be worried, it’s ok to not know. Right now we are a hundred times more prepared to face the Red Lotus than we were the last time and so feeling a little optimistic doesn’t mean we are letting our guard down ok?”

Everyone else at the table looked a little sheepish, but the gloomy atmosphere started to break. Tenzin was the first to apologize.

“I didn’t mean to come off so grim, Korra. I’ve fought the Red Lotus twice now. Both times we came dangerously close to losing you and it wasn’t pleasant to imagine them coming after you a third time.” He gave her a weak smile before popping a dumpling in his mouth.

Jinora let out a flustered sigh. “Same here, I’ve been losing my mind over what happened this afternoon. Spiritual stuff is what I’m best at, and it felt like I ran into a wall trying to help you.” She flopped her head down on the table, letting out a prolonged groan of annoyance.

Content that she had gotten through to the air-benders, Korra turned to face Asami. With a long sigh, Asami finally looked up, returning Korra’s gaze.

“I’ll admit it, this is freaking me out. You tangled with the Red Lotus once and I lost you for three years. I didn’t realize just how scared I was until I saw you… looking like that.”

Asami clenched her fist and bit her lip, unable to get the right words out. Korra placed a hand on Asami’s knee, to let her know it was alright.

“This is nice,” Pema mused, drawing everyone's attention to her. “Seeing you all talking about your feelings. This is much better than watching you keep it all bottled up.” She smiled to herself and took another bite of her dumpling.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Tenzin came to visit before Korra and Asami went to bed. He was holding a piece of paper with handwritten notes on it. 

“The officers in Zaufo got back to me after dinner. I wanted to tell you what they found.”

Korra leaned on the doorframe, and gave Tenzin her signal to continue. He coughed into his hand and straightened his posture before reading off the note.

“The evidence box containing all known belongings of the Red Lotus Agent known as P’li, was untampered with since it’s last inspection one year and four months ago. The contents were as follows; Eighty Four yuans, a small silver knife, a ballpoint pen, three flat rocks in a leather pouch, a torn handkerchief and a burnt child’s necklace with a cracked red glass bead.”

Tenzin lowered the paper dramatically and looked Korra in the eyes. He then handed her the necklace found in the relic box. They could both easily see the torn edges were not burnt, and the bead was not cracked.

“It’s not the same necklace…” Korra whispered, taking it from Tenzin's hand.

“Similar, that’s for sure. I had them describe to me in as much detail as they could. From what they said the two are identical, save for the damage.”

Again, what few clues they had were only making things more confusing.

“If you want I can have someone ship the evidence box to the temple. Other than that I think it might be a dead end. In the morning we can regroup and formulate what to do next. In the meantime I suggest you get some sleep and try not to worry yourself.”

Tenzin gave Korra a slight bow, but she wasn’t going to put up with such formalities. Korra pulled the old air-bender in for a tight hug, which he eventually accepted.

“See you in the morning then.” She said, as he walked down the hall and out of sight.

Asami emerged from the bathroom, her nighttime regiment complete. The two snuggled together in the dark, Asami falling asleep first. Korra on the other hand, could hardly keep her eyes shut. There was too much to do, too much to think about.

Trying her best not to wake Asami, Korra reached over to the shelf, retrieving the necklace from where she had put it. She stared at it in the moonlight, trying to look for some sort of answer.

 _A child’s necklace…_ according to the report. It was too small for an adult to wear, and it was found with P’li. If this universe's P’li had the necklace on her when she died, there was only one way to find out if the other universes P’li had one as well.

Carefully, Korra put the necklace in the lining of her pajama pants, and closed her eyes.

The gate was getting easier to open.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“The two of you have done a very good job these last few weeks. So I am happy to tell you that this is our last stop on the boat.” P’li was trying her best to sound supportive, as she knelt next to Korra and Naga.

The boat was floating a short distance away from a new island, this one lined with massive stone cliffs. Ming-Hua was nowhere to be seen, but everyone else looked miserable.

Korra’s hair was matted and dirty, and her stomach hurt like she hadn’t eaten well in many days. The rest of the Red Lotus didn't look much better, the weeks of sea travel had been rough without steady rations. Everyone on the boat had been suffering from a lack of sleep, food, and bathing. Considering Naga’s wet polar bear dog smell only got stronger as time went on, a good bath was everyone’s main priority.

Zaheer was waiting patiently at the other end of the tiny fishing boat, staring at the cliffs with unwavering focus. Ghazan was trying to relax, but was doing a poor job of masking his seasickness.

“Is this the island where you all live?” Korra asked, chewing on the very last piece of jerky P’li had.

“No, this island is totally uninhabited. But we are going to turn it into a safe house. None of the bad people can hurt you here, and we can train you how to be a good Avatar without anyone finding us.”

“Ok miss Puhlee.” It seemed no one had corrected Korra in the time they took getting here. Miss Puhlee was just going to be her name from now on.

Out of the water, a bob of black hair emerged, followed by two sunken eyes. Ming-Hua lifted herself up enough so she could report on what she had found.

“The supplies are here, plus a houseguest.”

Zaheer tensed, his hands going for his knives on instincts. “Was this houseguest invited? Or do we have to kick them out?”

Ming-Hua laughed, and Zaheer put his knives away. “It’s just Unalaq, he wants to congratulate us on a job well done, and probably try and justify why he couldn’t get his hands dirty.”

Korra lifted her head, her eyes wide. “Uncle is here?” A wide grin crossed her face, and she jumped up with enough force to rock the boat. “Uncle is here! Uncle is here!”

Her happy dance was cut short when P’li grabbed Korra around the middle and pulled her in close. “Stop that!”

Korra went limp, but P’li didn’t set her back down until they reached the shore. As they had with every other island they stopped at, Ghazan was the one to haul the boat up onto the shore. Once he pulled it to a large enough area, he used his earth bending to carve out a hiding spot for the boat. He pushed it inside and sealed the tunnel shut from the outside.

Using Ming-Hua’s arms as a pulley system, they scaled the massive vertical cliff face one by one. After Ming-Hua lifted Naga up by herself, P’li and Korra went last. The tendril of water wrapped around P’li’s waist, and she carried Korra in her arms.

From this height, Korra could get a good look at where they had taken her. It was a large island with several sheer cliffs along its shoreline. Several of these cliffs rose high into the sky, many times larger than any water tribe building. Waves crashed loudly against the rocks and churned up white clouds of sea-foam as they fell back down. The small beach where they landed was the only accessible spot to even approach this island.

 _Hard to get close, hard to escape_ , the older Korra thought bitterly.

With one last pull, Ming-Hua hoisted the two into the mouth of a cave, an entrance almost entirely hidden from view when standing on the beach. P’li crouched down and let Korra jump out of her arms and onto the cave floor. Without missing a beat, Korra began running about her new surroundings.

This cave was not nearly as dark as the one they hid in before. There were hundreds of small teal crystals lining the walls, glittering like stars in the night sky. The whole cave was awash with a faint blue glow, and Korra could easily navigate the area by herself. The floor of the cave was unusually flat, most likely bent to better accommodate foot traffic.

The cave was massive, with several branching tunnels leading to equally large side chambers. Korra pointed to a chamber that had no noticeable difference to any of the others.

“This one is mine and Naga’s room!”

P’li crossed her arms and smiled, “If you say so.” 

In the center chamber, there was a stack of wooden boxes, all of them twice the size of Korra herself. Zaheer was talking to a man Korra had sprinted past without even noticing. He was taller than Zaheer, with a serious face and regal looking water tribe robes.

“Uncle! You found me!” Korra ran headfirst into a hug, grabbing at his leg with all four limbs. He nearly fell over from the impact, steadying himself with Korra still clinging to his shin.

“Oh… Hello Korra. I was just delivering supplies for your new home.” Unalaq said, a look of faint disgust on his face.

Zaheer crossed his arms, completely ignoring the small child now stuck to Unalaq’s leg. “I was hoping the base would be finished by the time we got here. Couldn’t you or one of your lackeys have set up any of the equipment while you waited for us?”

Unalaq waved a dismissive hand as he spoke. “The less people included the less we have to worry about loose ends. All the tools are included and it doesn’t take a genius to put together a boiler, a generator and some plumbing. I ordered all the parts separately through different sources, no one is going to track us through any connected paperwork.” Unalaq reached down and peeled Korra off his leg, holding her out in front of him as he recoiled from her smell.

“Next shipment comes at the end of the month, don’t go holding out on us. As long as we have the Avatar the four of us are stuck on this island.” Zaheer’s voice sounded respectful enough, but the older Korra could sense a hint of suspicion. Unalaq already had his own plans, and he wasn’t going to be an ally for much longer.

“If you’re so worried about supplies why don’t you make a nice little list and hand it to me next time? The Red Lotus has my unwavering support and that includes any financial issues.” Unalaq sounded just as snide as he always did. He spoke politely but could never fully mask his contempt for those around him.

“Uncle? Can you bring me my blankets and pillows from home? I left them behind and I want to have them in my cool new cave room.” Korra said as Unalaq dropped her to the ground.

“Of course… I’ll bring them at the end of the month.” Unalaq lied.

Content with his answer, Korra bolted back into the main room, where the rest of the Red Lotus was already busy at work reading the instruction pamphlets with confused looks on their faces.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

The vision warped, and when the ripples settled, time had passed. Based on the new simple clothes Korra was now wearing, and the string of electric lights installed on the ceiling, it must have been several days later. 

The crates in the center chamber had all been dismantled, sloppily rebuilt into a table with six chairs around it. Metal pipes ran along the floor and a short range radio had been set up in the corner, resting on a circular bit of raised stone.

Korra and Naga both looked clean and well fed, most likely thanks to the simple shower built into one of the side chambers and a large wooden pallet stacked high with dehydrated food.

Korra and Naga ran through one of the tunnels, both barking in unison. Where the tunnel came to a dead end, they found Ghazan. He was standing with his back to them, scratching at his chin.

“Good morning Mister Ghazan, what are you thinking about?” Korra asked, tugging on his pant leg to get his attention.

He looked down at Korra, his expression completely neutral to her.

“This wall needs to be pushed back a bit. I was going to dig a tunnel up to the surface so we could gather firewood and maybe plant some vegetables…”

He suddenly scowled, and pushed Korra back with one of his hands.

“I need space to bend, go back to your room.” He waited until Korra had moved far enough away, and assumed a low stance.

Korra watched patiently as Ghazan began to move his arms, and the wall started to shift. Like a paintbrush sliding across a canvas, the stone started to sink in. One section of wall, then another, and the tunnel started to grow.

“Too slow! I can earth-bend faster than that!” Korra declared, rushing up to the wall and planting herself firmly next to Ghazan.

“Don’t mess around kid if the ceiling caves in-”

Before he could stop her, Korra imitated his movements, carving out a chunk of the wall with three strong swipes. Ghazan blinked, rubbing the back of his head in confusion.

“You already know a little earth-bending?” 

“Yeah! Moving rocks is for babies!” Korra took a step forward and carved out another section of wall. She wasn’t moving nearly as much earth as Ghazan, but she had dug out a considerable portion of the corner all on her own.

“So uh… if you stay on that side… and move in the same direction…” He was muttering to himself now, planning out the route in his head. “Alright I think I have it, just follow my lead, and keep your stance strong.”

Bit by bit, they carved out the tunnel. Ghazan would swipe away a section, and Korra would mirror his movements, swiping away her own section. Together they would take a step forward and keep digging.

“Alright we are almost to the surface, so try to support the opening with a solid column of rock on either side, like this ok?” Ghazan demonstrated as he built a support pillar out of the ground. Korra’s pillar was nearly the exact same shape and size, allowing the two to meet in the middle. With one last swipe, they cleared away the last layer of dirt, exposing the sunlight of the surface.

They were now on top of the cliffs. Sea wind whipped in their hair and the smell of wet grass was almost overwhelming. The two of them just stood there, letting the sweat they had worked up dry in the afternoon wind.

“Not bad for a pint sized Avatar.” Ghazan said, ruffling Korra’s hair with one hand. 

“I can bend just as good as grown ups!” She declared, puffing out her chest and smiling.

“Sure you can kid.” Ghazan chuckled, sitting down in the grass and closing his eyes. Curious, Korra sat down next to him, and closed her eyes as well.

Ghazan took several deep breaths, and Korra continued to mimic him. When he saw her little mirroring act, he said “It feels nice right? After a hard day's work, you can look back and say you accomplished something.”

Korra nodded, “We made a tunnel today and now every-time we walk through it we can brag about how strong we are!”

“Bragging rights are always nice.” Ghazan added, letting out a contented sigh.

Naga burst out of the newly formed tunnel, frolicking in the tall grass. There was a whole new area for her to explore and she could hardly contain her joy. “Naga wait for me!” Korra shouted, bolting upright and giving chase.

“Don’t fall over the edge! we are really high up here!” Ghazan shouted, genuine panic in his voice. It took him longer than he was proud to admit but he eventually caught up to Korra and Naga. He was panting from the effort, but Korra and Naga had barely broken a sweat.

“Ok… don’t run off like that… there are wild animals on this island, and if you don’t watch your step you could fall over the side…”

Korra looked around, peering at the edge of the cliff not too far away from where she stood. “Then let’s just earth-bend a fence around the whole Island.”

Ghazan just stood there, gasping for air and unsure of what he just heard. “That might have to wait until tomorrow, I need to go sit down.”

Korra laughed and jumped into a firm stance. “Come on! I told you moving rocks is for babies! We can do it!” With an upwards swing, she bent a square section of rock out from the ground. It ran along the side of the edge, forming a makeshift fence.

With a shrug, Ghazan joined Korra, bending an even larger section of fence that stretched out into the distance. “Race you around the island! I bet I can build more fences than you!” Korra took off like a bolt of lightning, bending section after section in her wake.

“This kid’s gonna to give me a heart attack…” Ghazan muttered, chasing after the little girl and her polar bear dog.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Zaheer left his study to check on the radio in the main chamber, where he ran directly into a waist high pillar of stone cubes. He knelt down, clutching at his knee, the anger already rising in his voice. “Why is this thing in the middle of the-”

He looked up, only to see dozens of more pillars dotting the floor of the main chamber. Sitting in chairs, Korra and Ghazan were huddled close together, focusing on the spot between them.

“Ok so the trick is keeping your movements small but certain. Too big and the tower collapses, too small and you won’t bend it at all. Watch this.”

From out of the ground a perfectly square block of stone rose up, about the size of a large melon. Ghazan looked up at Korra, a grin on his face. “Your turn!”

Korra stuck her tongue out, and flicked her wrist gently. Another cube, about half sized this time, grew on top of the first one. “Ok Mister Ghazan! Your turn.”

Before they could grow this tower any taller, Zaheer shouted, “Level the floor right now. We don’t have time to be playing games!” A look of embarrassment on his face, Ghazan stood up, and with one fluid motion, sunk all the pillars back down into the floor.

“Sorry about that, we were working on earth-bending techniques and it sorta of got out of-”

Zaheer held up a hand, lines of frustration growing on his forehead as he scowled. “I need you focused Ghazan, not goofing off with the Avatar. We need to teach her the elements the proper way if we want this to work.”

Ghazan slumped his shoulders, even though he was a head taller than Zaheer, the earth-bender looked tiny in comparison. “I’m sorry ok? I just wanted to show Korra the ropes. I wasn’t messing around, I promise.”

Zaheer sighed and rubbed his temples with two fingers. “I know I’ve been a little on edge these past few days. But a mission like this has too much on the line for me to relax. Once I know for a fact no one is looking for us I will try to be a bit more forgiving. In the meantime can your main priority be keeping a low profile? We don't want to alter this island in any way that stands out from the air."

“Oh you saw the fence? I tried to make them look as natural as possible I swear.” Ghazan’s tone was decidedly sheepish. Zaheer stared blankly back at Ghazan, his eyes betraying a deep annoyance.

“What fence?”

With a sharp hiss of air, Ghazan pointed down the new tunnel. “Let me show you, If you think they're too noticeable I can flatten them.”

Zaheer looked down at Korra, who had been trying to make herself as small as possible while the two men talked.

“I don't want either of you earth-bending unless you already have my approval. Is that clear?” His tone said that this wasn’t the sort of thing either of them could say no to. Ghazan and Korra both nodded silently.

“Good. Now show me the fence.”

Korra sat there on the floor, tears threatening to well up in her eyes. They were just trying to make the island a bit safer, and have a little fun while they were at it.

As the two men walked down the tunnel, Ghazan looked back over his shoulder, and gave Korra a reassuring smile. As subtle as he could manage it, Ghazan moved his finger, bending a tiny cube of stone out of the wall where it landed in Korra’s lap. Before she could look up they had vanished around the corner.

Korra put the cube in her pocket and smiled to herself. At the very least she had made a new friend.


	4. Comfort in a Storm.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra assembles a team to search for another clue, a stormy night brings Korra and P'li a little bit closer.

**Chapter 4: Comfort in a Storm**

****

Korra couldn’t remember waking up that morning. The vision of the other world faded, and she was suddenly sitting at the dining room table with Pema.

“Slow morning?” She asked, placing a bowl of rice and veggies in front of Korra.

“Oh, yeah. Yesterday was just a little exhausting I guess.”

Air Temple Island was oddly deserted, Asami, Tenzi and Jinora were nowhere to be found, so Korra decided to follow Pema as they accomplished chores on her list.

As they folded laundry together, Pema asked, “Things have been a little quiet haven’t they? Back when you first came to Republic City it felt like it was just one danger after another, right?” 

Korra nodded. “Yeah, I got in over my head pretty quickly didn’t I?” 

“But things have been pretty quiet these last few months. You and Asami have actually had some time to relax together.” 

Despite everything, Korra could feel herself smiling, “I guess things have been pretty mellow until yesterday. Maybe I really was letting my guard down a little.”

Pema folded a robe and gave it a little snap as she set it back down in the basket. “That’s one way to describe it. Personally I think you can’t just jump back into hero mode without a little transition time.”

“What do you mean by that?” Korra said, scrunching her face in confusion.

“I saw how tense everyone was at dinner last night. I think the four of you were struggling to get back into your more serious mindset. It wasn’t that you let your guard down, you were just jumping in head first without the time to prepare emotionally.”

Pema had a way of cutting right to the chase with her observations, and Korra had to admit that she was right. “You’re saying we have a new challenge ahead of us, and we can’t expect to be back on high alert after just one day?”

Beaming with pride, Pema gave another little snap as she folded an apron. “Exactly. You’ll figure this thing out eventually. Just accept that you won’t have this handled in a single day.”

“Now why couldn’t you have been my spiritual guide back then?” Korra said, letting out a long sigh.

“I was busy keeping Meelo from burning down the temple I guess.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Around noon, a sky bison landed with Asami and Jinora on it’s back. They raced into the temple where Korra had been busy replacing the candles.

“Guess what! We found another clue!” Jinora shouted excitedly, dragging Asami by the sleeve. Asami was carrying a large official looking ledger, on the front was the logo of the Republic City Office of Commerce.

Asami gave Korra a quick hug, and then sat down to show her what they had dug up.

“I stopped by the police station, and with a little help from Mako we pulled some old product records. Companies have to register designs for jewelry and clothing for legal protection. We were able to narrow down our search by looking for who made the necklace.”

A little puzzled, Korra asked, “But this could be a dead end if the necklace was handmade.”

Jinora held up a finger and smirked, “According to dad, our necklace is identical to the one in the evidence box. I bet these were mass produced somewhere.”

Asami thumbed through the massive ledger, flipping past page after page of old photos. There were shirts, jackets, pants, socks, underwear, earrings, bracelets, beads and eventually, necklaces. Each product had a photograph next to a page of legal script and the manufacturer information.

They stopped at a bookmarked page, showing a very similar necklace. Without color it was hard to tell, but the similarities were undeniable. Both had a gem in the center, the paperwork stating it was made of glass and colored red through a reflective backing. The ingredients for the gold and red fabric dye was also listed, but Korra didn’t know what any of the chemicals were.

“The company that made this was a small Fire Nation haberdashery on Kemuri Island.” Asami looked up and saw Korra’s confused expression, and quickly decided to elaborate further. “A haberdashery is a store that sells clothing accessories.” 

Excited, Jinora grabbed the book and held it up for Korra to see. “According to this, the store went bankrupt over sixty years ago! It only had one location left open after that, and it shut down about fifteen years ago, so if we look at people who lived on that island before that time, we could at least narrow it down to a handful of people.”

“You mean find out who planted the necklace in the relic box? It feels like a long shot, but at the very least we can eliminate suspects.”

Asami chimed in with a good point, “Most of the Red Lotus members weren’t even born when this place went bankrupt. Maybe it belonged to an older member we didn’t know about? Zaheer and his crew weren’t the only members after all.”

Korra sat up, and gave them both a shrug. “It’s worth a shot, we should make a plan to visit this island tomorrow. They could have some sort of record laying around, and in the worst case scenario we can try going door to door.”

A smile grew on Asami’s face, clearly glad to have some sort of roadmap ahead of her. “I can get an airship fueled up and ready to go no problem. Should I send out a message for anyone to join us?”

Korra took a moment to think, since things had gone quiet, most of her friends had spread out across the kingdoms. Mako was still in Republic city, working with Lin and Wu, and Bolin was at the North Pole with Varrick. Last she heard, Opal and the rest of the air benders were at the Southern Air Temple working with a new batch of recruits.

“Jinora, would you be able to join us for a few weeks in the Fire Nation?”

Instantly, Jinora’s eyes lit up with excitement, which she tried to mask with a polite bow. “It would be my pleasure to accompany you. Is it alright if I invite Kai?” 

“Can he be here by tomorrow?” Korra asked, unsure if he was with the rest of the air-benders or not.

“Of course! He’s already on his way!” There was a beat, and Jinora started to blush as she finished her explanation. “He had some time off and was coming to visit me.”

Asami and Korra exchanged a knowing look. “Sure you can invite him as long as you make it clear that this is a serious mission and not some romantic getaway.”

Sputtering with embarrassment Jinora nodded. “Of course. We can be professional, you can count on us no problem!” Now bright red, Jinora bolted out of the room to go pack.

Asami was grinning now, and as she turned to talk to Korra, she had a wistful look in her eye. “You know sometimes I feel like we missed out on the puppy love phase of our relationship.”

Korra sauntered over to her with a casual shrug. “Well back when we were teenagers, I think we were a little too busy saving the world and ya know, dating the same guy.”

Asami let out a short laugh, a welcomed sound after all the stress she had been under lately. “Well maybe we’ll break the rules a little and let this trip dip into romantic getaway territory just a little bit.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to that. It will take a few days to reach our destination. We can always make a pit stop or two if the urge for puppy love strikes us.”

Korra leaned in for a quick kiss which Asami was more than happy to return.

The rest of the day was uneventful, and Tenzin returned from a meeting to join the group for dinner. They finalized their plans and Pema agreed to cook some meals for the trip, regardless of Asami insisting she could pay for everything.

After a round of discussion, an agreement was made. Korra would make one attempt to reach out to her alternate self every evening, under supervision of Asami and Jinora. If either of them noticed any changes in Korra’s behavior, they had permission to take the necklace away from her, no questions asked.

As the sun set and Tenzin cleared the dishes, the three girls sat in the temple. Asami had gathered several pillows, and arranged them around Korra should she fall over from shock. Jinora was going to try and follow her through the gate again, and Asami had already prepared half a dozen pillows for her as well.

“It’s cute when you fret over us, but I think we are going to be alright.” Korra teased as Asami placed a third pillow behind Korra's head. She had transformed the center of the temple into something that more closely resembled a slumber party.

“Fine, you want to fall over and hit your head on something other than a pillow be my guest.” She snapped back, her voice thick with sarcasm.

With one last deep breath, Korra and Jinora once again approached the gate in their minds. Just like their previous attempt, Korra was pulled through while Jinora remained behind.

There was no pain this time, just a steady wave of cold energy wrapping around Korra like she was diving into the sea.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

It was storming outside, and the sounds of the waves crashing against the cliff was all Korra could hear. Naga snuggled up next to her, whimpering in fear.

“It’s ok girl. One day I’m gonna master lightning, and shoot those loud bolts back up into the sky just for you!” She rubbed her nose against Naga’s nape and the polar bear dog gave a contented woof back.

This however, was a lie. The next time a clap of thunder shook the island, Korra let out a startled yelp. She was trying her best not to show it, but she was just as scared as Naga. 

Storms back home felt entirely different from this. Massive walls of pure white snow would sweep over the South pole, coating the land in an oppressive stillness. There would be howling from the wind but it was nothing compared to the percussive crackle of ocean thunder.

Each time it rang out, Korra would flinch and cling tighter to Naga’s fur. Her whole body felt tense and her heart pounded against her ribcage.

There was a clap of thunder so close, Korra was certain the island had been stuck. Her imagination was already running wild, picturing a bolt of lighting splitting the island in two, both halves sinking into the angry sea below.

She got up, and ran to the center chamber, her bare feet slapping the cold stone floor. Weeks ago she and Ghazan had carved a name over each tunnel, so she would never get lost. She spun around in a circle, reading each one in turn.

_Storage Room, Radio Room, Ming-Hua's Room, Ghazan’s Room, Practice Room, Korra’s Room, Shower Room, Pantry._

Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, shooting blinding light through the small circular windows carved into the far side of the main chamber. Korra and Naga curled up on the floor, waiting for the clap of thunder to pass before getting back up.

Finally, she found the tunnel she was looking for. _Zaheer and P’li’s Room._ Normally she was never allowed inside, but her body carried her faster than her brain could warn her.

This room was the same size as all the others, the round curved walls like that of a stone Igloo. The lights had been turned off, but the crystals gave off enough light for Korra to take in her surroundings.

The room contained a stone table, a stone desk, and an easel order from the most recent supply shipment. Several large cloth canvases sat in a pile behind the easel where Korra could not make out what was painted on them. 

There were two wooden dressers on either side of the room, one had a small hand carved altar atop it, along with a few leather bound books. The other held a bronze lantern and an empty glass vase.

In the center of the room there was a large mattress laying on four brick supports. The blankets were bunched up on one side, the other side totally empty. P’li was curled up in the bed alone, her lanky legs sticking out one side and hanging in the open air.

Korra intended to speak clearly without any emotion, but as soon as she opened her mouth she began sobbing uncontrollably.

“MISS PUHLEE!” She screamed, a stream of snot already trailing down her face.

P’li woke up, groggy at first, then on full alert.

“What’s wrong, have we been discovered?” She bolted upright, her eyes darting around the room.

“MISS PUHLEE!” Korra sobbed again, unable to say anything else. Naga let out a plaintive howl that was almost as loud as the storm outside.

P’li was on her feet, ready for battle. She grabbed Korra with one hand and began inspecting her for injuries. “Where does it hurt? Can you still run?”

“MISS PUHLEE THE-TH-THE THUNDER!”

P’li blinked, and let out a gasp of air as she flopped back down on her bed.

“Is that all? Is the thunder scaring you?”

Korra shook her head back and forth, flinging tears and snot all over the sheets. Naga whimpered in agreement, trying to hide behind Korra’s tiny legs.

“Thunder is just noise and lightning only strikes the tallest thing in the area. We are a good deal underground, so we should be fine. Go back to bed.”

Korra simply stood there in the middle of the room, her hands balled into shaking fists.

“Miss Puhlee… I’m scared.” She sputtered, hardly getting a word out before sobbing again.

With a long pause, P’li gestured for Korra to come sit down next to her. Korra went one step further and leapt fully into P’li’s lap. She buried her face in the fabric of P’li’s shirt and cried as hard as she could. Naga jumped onto P’lis legs and curled into a ball.

Unsure what to do, P’li gave Korra an awkward pat on the back.

“There, there, just go ahead and cry. It will… uh… it will all be over soon.” P’li had never comforted a child before, and she was hoping Korra would merely cry herself out.

About a half hour of crying later, P’li’s shirt was thoroughly soaked with warm snot. The storm outside had not let up in the slightest, and neither had Korra. With Naga fast asleep, P’li’s legs had gone numb and felt like rubber.

“Come on kid, you are safe down here. The Avatar can’t be scared of a little lightning.”

Her eyes brimming with a brand new set of tears, Korra looked up at P’li pleadingly.

“My-My momma would let me sleep in her bed when I got scared…”

The expression on P’li’s face turned downright sinister, the fury crystal clear even in the dark. “Well your mommas not here, and you can’t sleep in my bed. Get out.”

This did nothing to stop Korra, who launched into an even worse fit of sobs upon hearing this. A crack of thunder shook the room, and Korra belted out a shrill “MOMMA!” before burying her face back into P’li’s shirt.

With a sigh, P’li started to rub the back of Korra’s hair, the anger seeping away, slowly replaced with annoyance.

“I’ve got you Korra, nothing can hurt you when I’m around.” She whispered softly, running her hand through the child's hair. Slowly, she started to rock back and forth, and Korra’s sob started to get quieter and quieter.

“I’ve got you. Everything is going to be alright.” She whispered again, trying her best to sound sincere. She could feel Korra going limp in her arms. In the dark, she eventually heard the soft snoring as Korra fell into a deep sleep. Just to be sure, P’li waited a bit longer, listening to the gentle rise and fall of Korra’s breathing.

Confident she was asleep, P’li let Korra flop onto the pillow next to her. The little girl was snoring with dried snot all over her face. Initially she was planning on carrying Korra back to her own bed, but Naga had yet to move, effectively trapping P’li in place.

Laying there, with the snoring of the dog and the girl, P’li stared at the ceiling and fumed. The storm was dying down now, and the thunder was nothing more than a distant rumble. With no other options, P’li shook Korra back awake.

“Hey kid, time to go back to your own bed. Take Naga and get out.” She said, trying her best to be firm with the child.

Korra didn’t open her eyes, and simply snuggled back into the bed. “Can I please sleep here?” Her voice was meek and groggy.

“No, this is my room, your room's over there. Get out, I mean it.”

In her half asleep state, Korra mumbled, “This is Mister Zaheer’s room too… where is he?” 

P’li did not respond at first, leaving the question in the air just long enough for her to become uncomfortable. “He and Ghazan left on a new mission. He won’t be back for a long time.”

“Are you and him married?” Korra whispered.

“No.”

“Do you want to be married?”

Again, P’li waited before answering. “Yes I do.”

“Is he nice to you?”

“Yes he is.”

Korra yawned, and turned away from P’li, taking most of the blankets with her.

“He’s not nice to me. Does he hate me?”

This was getting out of hand, P’li just wanted to be left alone, but Korra had yet to budge and Naga had effectively cut off the circulation to her legs.

“We can talk about this tomorrow, but the first thing you have to do is go back to your room.”

Korra let out a hiccup, and the threat of new tears hung in her voice, “That means he does hate me, and you just don’t want to tell me.”

There was a long disgusted sigh from P’li who struggled to roll over so she could look at Korra. “He doesn’t hate you. He doesn’t hate anyone. He’s a man who has a lot on his shoulders and he’s just trying to make the world a better place. You are the Avatar and making the world a better place is your destiny. Of all the people in the world, no one understands you better than Zaheer. Just because he’s a little cold doesn’t mean he hates you Korra.”

There was another long silence, so long in fact P’li was worried Korra had gone back to sleep.

“Do you hate me Miss Puhlee?” Korra’s voice was so quiet that P’li wasn’t even sure if she had heard it.

“I don’t hate you Korra.”

Korra turned around, a smile growing on her sleepy little face. “Good because I don’t hate you either Miss Puhlee.” She shuffled closer, tucking her head under P’li’s neck where she promptly fell asleep.

It took her a moment, but P’li realized there was nothing she could do to rid herself of Korra or her pet. She had to resign herself to a long night stuck in this position. “I guess I’m not getting any sleep tonight am I?” 

Against her better judgement, a soft smile crossed her face, and she wrapped her arms around the tiny girl, pulling her in even closer.


	5. The Glass Lamp.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and her friends enjoy their first night aboard a new Airship.
> 
> Meanwhile, Zaheer enacts the second phase of his plan without consulting P'li.

**Chapter 5: The Glass Lamp**

****

After a good deal of pleading, Asami agreed to only bring one medium sized airship. She wanted to go all out with her entire fleet but Korra pointed out that discretion would be key moving forward.

Kai arrived right on time, landing his bison on the far side of the island just as the flight crew finished refueling. He practically sprinted up the runway and into Jinora’s arms, running right past Korra and Asami without so much as a hello.

Jinora let out a nervous laugh and politely let go of Kai. “I’m happy to see you too! If there is anything you need before takeoff we can go grab it now.”

He gave her a little smirk and pulled a small knapsack off his back. “The acolytes are looking after Lefty, everything I need for the trip is in here. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Finally pulling his attention away from Jinora, Kai was subjected to a long series of hugs and hair ruffles from Korra and Asami. “Yeah, yeah I was getting around to saying hi you don’t have to overdo it.”

It had almost been six months since Korra had last seen Kai, and he was already a whole inch taller, with the faintest hint of stubble on his chin. It was nice to see him so centered and confident after all they had been through together.

They had enough fuel and enough food to make a non stop round trip, but they radioed ahead just in case. There was a refueling depot not too far off course that they could stop at should anything go awry. 

Asami had brought an airship she used for business meetings, so there was a large ballroom on the upper deck, a wrap around walkway and eight luxurious suites on the lower level. In addition to the four of them, there was a crew of three, the captain, a navigator and a mechanic. They had quarters below but Asami had given them permission to use any of the unoccupied suites on the journey. Korra had a sneaking suspicion that both couples would be rooming together, leaving most of the rooms empty anyway.

With Asami assisting the captain, Korra and the two air-benders enjoyed takeoff from the bow of the ship, gripping tight to the metal handrails. The wind grew stronger as they gained altitude.

“Airships have a totally different feel. Super slow but kinda smooth right?” Korra said, shouting a little over the wind.

Kai laughed, “Nah, Sky Bisons can take off pretty smoothly if you know what you are doing. Airships have to build up thrust and you can always feel the kick of the engine.”

“Although you can’t bring a whole ballroom with you on a Bison. Flying in an airship is probably my second favorite way to fly.” Jinora said, closing her eyes and leaning forward over the railing, enjoying the rush of air on her face.

The debate went on a little longer, with all three ultimately agreeing that flying via glider was still the best. They all had their own opinion on what deserved second place, but they were past the cloud cover already, and it was time to head back inside.

Korra did her best to fill Kai in on everything that had happened so far. He seemed a little confused but was still willing to help nonetheless. 

“So its like a past life, but instead of someone else's life you are still you? Are you sure you can’t control the actions of the other Korra at all?”

Korra let out a long sigh and held her chin in her hands. They were all sitting in a circle in the center of the empty ballroom, two plates of snacks on a nearby table.

“I don’t think the other world is happening in real time, it feels more like a memory. Time will jump forward by a few days at a time, sometimes even by a few weeks. I can see what she sees, and feel what she feels, but that’s about it. If I could control what she does or what she says I would be trying to make her escape.” She hadn’t noticed at first, but Korra was tapping her foot as she spoke. Just talking about how helpless she felt was starting to make her angry.

Jinnora cleared her throat and spoke, “Korra told me about her visions from Aang, and how he was using his memories to warn her about Amon. My current theory is that this alternate Korra is doing the same thing to warn our Korra about whatever the Red Lotus is up to right now. I mean, Korra is able to learn things about the Red Lotus she would normally never be able to know thanks to these visions. It might be connected.”

Kai sat up and started stretching his legs, the discussion had gone on a bit longer than they expected, and it was already late in the afternoon. The Airship was puttering along at a steady pace, The shore of Republic City long since replaced by great sheets of unending water.

“Do we have permission to explore the airship for a bit?” Kai asked, already eyeing a large stringed Khim resting on the ballroom stage.

Asami grimaced, trying her best to not sound overly strict, “Even though I technically own this ship, it is Future Industry property. If anything gets damaged we have to make sure we fix it before the trip is over.” Even though she said _we_ everyone knew what she really meant. If anything broke she would have to pay for it.

Not even listening to her, Kai and Jinora were already running around on the stage, hitting the various stringed instruments with small wooden mallets. Sounds of sour musical notes filled the ballroom and Asami couldn’t hide her smile no matter how hard she tried.

“Keep this up and you could always start a second career as traveling musicians!” Korra shouted from across the room. Jinora responded by blowing into a trombone, which produced a note that sounded more like a loud fart than anything resembling music.

They spent the rest of the day enjoying the opening leg of their trip. Asami did a full inspection of the engines, while Kai and Jinora ran around exploring every unlocked room. Korra took her air glider and flew to the top of the balloon. She found a spot where she could lean against one of the metal supports without falling off. She sat down and took a deep breath of crisp cold air.

This high up, the air normally felt thin and hard to breathe. Air-benders however, had found breathing methods to deal with changes in air pressure and Korra had no issue staying out here. The sounds of the rushing wind, combined with the hum of the airship made for a deafening wall of white noise. It was a strong enough roar to drown out all of the thoughts in Korra's head. Up here there was nothing but the great empty sky and the vast ocean below.

She sat there for over an hour, watching the glaring sun slip below the clouds and drench the Airship in a flood of rich reds and purples. She picked up her glider and slid down the side of the balloon, landing on the balcony without much hassle.

When she met back up with the others, they were ready to start that evenings ritual.

Asami had arranged two chairs in the center of the ballroom, with a table on either side and at least four cushions on the floor below. Kai took a seat next to Jinora, his hand on hers.

“I can’t really help you two with anything spiritual, but if Jinora has your back I know you’ll be ok.” He said. Korra looked up and saw Jinora brimming with a mixture of pride and embarrassment from Kai’s compliment.

Asami said nothing, choosing to pace around the edge of the ballroom, her glove tucked into her belt.

Jinora pulled a small metal box out of her bag, and after unlocking it, pulled out the red necklace. She placed it on one of the tables and assumed her meditative posture.

In and out, Korra focused on the gate, and passed through yet again. Jinora stayed behind, watching from behind the unseen barrier that kept them apart.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Korra was in the pantry chamber, a medium sized circular room where some of the perishable food was stored, and acted as a rudimentary kitchen. 

Korra was sitting on a stool earth-bent out of the ground by a wooden table. Laying on the table was a thick cutting board and several short knives. There was a bowl of dried fruit, and a wooden box full of washed herbs Ghazan found on the topside of the island.

The stool was tall enough that Korra could easily swing her legs without touching the ground. She hummed to herself and tossed bits of jerky to Naga who was resting on the floor beneath her.

From the hallway, a wet slopping noise heralded the approach of Ming-Hua. When she entered the room, she was dripping with sea water, and her black hair resembled stalks of soggy seaweed. She had been fishing again, by diving under and spearing the fish with long needles of ice. Korra had watched a few of her fishing trips, and she could stay underwater for hours without re-emerging. 

When she finally resurfaced she would always be carrying a whole school of fish in a blood red orb of water. Today was no different and she held her prize out in front of her, floating it over the drain Ghazan had dug in the floor. She threw the fish out onto the chopping block, and let the blood soaked water spill onto the floor and down the drain.

Korra watched intently. Zaheer was a big jerk, Ghazan seemed nice, and P’li was not nearly as mean as she pretended to be. Ming-Hua however was the only one Korra hadn’t figured out yet. Ming-Hua rarely spoke even to the other members of the Red Lotus. She had a razor focus and stuck to the duties Zaheer assigned to her.

Without even looking at Korra, Ming-Hua grew icicle blades and began slashing up the fish and separating the bones. Even with the food Unalaq sent, there was hardly enough to eat each month. Ming-Hua’s fish was more than half their diet at this point.

Korra picked up one of the smaller fish, and reached for one of the smaller knives. A tendril of water picked up the knife block and moved it to the other side of the table.

“Don’t even think about it.” Ming-Hua said. Her voice sounded thin and raspy, like she hadn’t used it a while and needed to clear out the cobwebs.

“I know how to get the bones out of a fish. I’ve done it before.” Korra pulled up a tiny bit of water and tried to focus it into ice. She could get the general shape but she couldn’t make it sharp the way Ming-Hua could.

“Doesn’t matter if you can do it or not, I can do it faster on my own.” Ming-Hua had already gutted five fish, all in the time it took Korra to bend her icicle. 

Dejected, Korra set her fish back on the table, where Ming-Hua promptly cut its head off. She clearly wasn't enjoying Korra's company.

“I can chop the veggies for the stew if you want. That way I won’t get in the way of you and your fish! It's faster that way!” Korra said, eyes locked on the basket of tomatoes within arms reach.

“You ain’t tricking me into giving you a knife. You’ll have to try harder than that.”

A voice came from the doorway, shocking them both. “Let her help, at the very least it will make her stop asking.” P’li said. She wasn’t wearing her usually dark leather outfit, but a casual robe and pants with a red belt around her waist.

Grumbling, Ming-Hua slid the knife block back in place, allowing Korra to grab one of the smaller blades. While Ming-Hua chopped her fish, P’li brought the vegetables over to where Korra could slice them. 

Immediately after Korra made her first chop, P’li took the knife away and said,“You have to hold your fingers like this, it’s safer that way. That’s right, curl them.” P’li demonstrated how to use the knife, and handed it back.

With both of them working together, P’li and Korra finished their work at the same time as Ming-Hua. After a bit more preparation, P’li lit a small fire under a large metal pot and they slid the ingredients in one by one.

The two adults were totally silent as their dinner cooked, so Korra decided to ask a few questions. “How long have you two known each other?”

Ming-Hua didn’t react, so it was up to P’li to answer. “I was already part of the team when Ming-Hua joined. We met because of Zaheer.”

There was a small growl when Ming-Hua responded, “I don’t think we should be sharing personal information with _her_ around.”

P’li leaned against the wall, and gave a slight shrug. “It doesn’t matter in the long run. Korra is going to be with us for a long time. Answering a few questions can't hurt. It builds trust after all.” She gave Ming-Hua a serious look, the two women exchanging something unheard. 

The older Korra guessed that P’li was trying to signal that they needed to play their parts, to make Korra more malleable to their influence. Anger boiled up but there was nothing she could do about it but watch.

Reluctantly Ming-Hua added, “Zaheer was born into the Red Lotus… Ghazan and I joined at the same time, and Zaheer res- uh… we met P’li a while later but she had been with Zaheer for years at that point.” Ming-Hua shrank uncomfortably as she spoke, not making eye contact with either of them.

“We’ve been friends for a long time. All four of us.”

Absentmindedly, Korra said, “Me and mister Ghazan are friends, so that means I can be friends with both of you too.” She stood up on another stool and gave the stew a few good stirs with a wooden spoon.

“Yeah… You can think of us as friends.” Ming-Hua said, barely hiding her contempt.

P’li shot her a furious look, and Ming-Hua could only respond with a roll of her eyes. Soon the small pantry was filled with the rich aroma of fish, tomato sauce and spices. It was a simple recipe but it was one that actually tasted rather good.

The three of them sat around the table in the main chamber, taking slow spoonfuls of the hot stew. Naga sat faithfully under Korra’s chain, content with the occasional scarp handed to her when Korra thought no one was looking. Ming-Hua had released her water arms, allowing P’li to feed her in alternating spoonfuls.

“So when mister Ghazan is gone, Puhlee helps you eat your food?” Korra asked, her mouth full of stew.

“Uh… I can feed myself, I just… don’t use my bending for every single thing. It gets tiring.” Ming-Hua scowled, one eyebrow raised.

“I think your arms are cool. But bending all day just to have arms must be tough.”

After finishing another spoonful of stew, Ming-Hua responded, “Yeah I don’t really notice anymore. I bend my arms everyday, it’s easy to me now.”

Korra’s eyes lit up, absolutely enthralled, “You must be really strong then. I’ve seen you with your arms up all day long, so you must be super good at bending.”

Ming-Hua simple nodded and went back to eating. She turned to P’li and muttered, “Talkative little thing isn’t she?”

“Korra is just adjusting. Pretty soon she'll get accustomed to us and everything will be a lot easier for all of us.”  
Korra thought she saw a little smile coming from Ming-Hua.

It was at that moment that a thundering rumble shook the cavern. It was the unmistakable sound of earth-bending, coming from far below. P’li sprang into action, picking up Korra and spilling her stew in the process. Ming-Hua barely reacted, letting out a frustrated sigh. “It’s just Ghazan, him and Zaheer must be back.”

Near the entrance wall, a new tunnel tore open and three men bursted out. A shower of dust flooded the room, bits of dirt landing on the table.

“Ghazan, close off the tunnel. MIng-Hua, help me carry him. P’li, secure the Avatar.” Zaheer’s orders were sharp and to the point, as soon as he said them all three agents sprang into action. 

Zaheer had a man slung over his shoulder, the stranger was bound and gagged, with thick chains of shiny platinum around his torso. Ming-Hua quickly formed a single arm from the liquid spilled on the table, lifting up the man and carrying him into the storage chamber.

P’li ran into her own room, Korra tucked tightly in her grasp. Naga got up from under the table and followed them with her tail wagging.

“Who was that man?” Korra asked, a slight twinge of fear growing inside her.

“He isn’t important, what happens next is all that you should care about.” P’li set Korra down on the bed, and knelt down until they were eye level.

“What is going to happen next?” Korra asked, the intensity in P’li’s eyes doing nothing to comfort her.

“You are the Avatar Korra, and you are connected to hundreds of your past lives. The only problem is that those past lives were all taught the wrong information. We can’t teach you the right information because there is about ten thousand years worth of lies swimming around in your head. What we do next is going to fix that. Give you a clean slate to unlock your true potential.”

The White Lotus had told her about the past Avatars, but it was still just a bunch of words as far as Korra was concerned. The scope was too large for a child to comprehend, and P’li was not making it any easier.

P’li saw the look of confusion on Korra’s face, and tried again from the top. “Let me put it this way, Your brain is like a bowl with a hole in it. What we are going to do is plug up that hole so you can… well so that you can…”

“Eat stew out of the bowl?” Korra asked innocently.

“Uh… yes. A bowl that can’t hold anything isn’t a very good bowl now is it?”

Korra gave an enthusiastic nod and smiled back at P’li. For a moment the two sat in silence. A bead of sweat rolled down P’li’s face, and she had to break eye contact with the girl.

“This isn’t going to hurt you, but in order for this to work you have to relax and listen to what we say. Do you think you can do that?” 

“Yes miss Puhlee! I can do that no problem!” Korra gave her a big thumbs up.

“Just- I need you to understand that this is for your own good. We wouldn’t do this if there was any other way. I need you to understand that.” There was something desperate in P’li’s voice that chilled the older Korra to her core.

“Of course. I trust you miss Puhlee.” Korra’s words hung in the air, the little girl totally unaware of the sting they held. 

With a great deal of pain, P’li spoke, “Ok then, Ghazan wants to show you the new bending technique he learned on his mission… they are waiting for us in the other room.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Ghazan had moved the supply crates out of the storage room, leaving the circular chamber dark, and totally empty save for two of the wooden chairs. One chair was empty, the other held the stranger Zaheer had brought back with him. 

He was a man with tan skin and short black hair, his green clothes barely visible under the platinum chains. His eyes were swollen shut and he was dripping with fresh blood. All across his body were large gashes and burns. He looked less like a man and more like one of the fish after Ming-Hua had her way with them.

Ming-Hua stayed in the shadows, both arms now fully formed. Ghazan sat off to the side, a red hot ball of lava hovering between his hands. He was stretching and squashing it as if he were molding a ball of clay. Zaheer stood in the center of the room, his eyes closed and his knives bloody.

“Tie the Avatar to the chair, we got what we needed.” He said.

Korra hesitated, gripping tightly to P’li pant leg, P’li spoke in a low tone, “Korra agreed, we don’t need to tie her up.”

“No chances, tie her up.” Ming-Hua hissed from the shadows. Zaheer tossed a section of rope to P’li who stared at it in her hands like she had just been handed a live snake.

“Korra…” P'li voice was delicate, the same way she had spoken to Naga that night on the beach. “Can you sit in that chair for me? In order for this to work we have to tie you up.”

“That man is hurt…” Korra said, not letting go of P’li.

“He was a bad man. He was very very cruel. Don’t worry about him.” P’li snapped. She ran her hands through the coil of rope, clenching her fists tight enough for her knuckles to turn white.

“This man was very bad indeed, but what we learned from him will help you become the Avatar you were always meant to be, Now get in the chair. With what we have learned from the Dai Li, we can finally enter the next phase of our mission.” Zaheer said, his voice calm.

P’li picked up Korra and forced her down in the chair, unable to hold back her fear, Korra began to squirm and to resist. “No! I don’t want to! Let me go!” Twisting her neck, Korra bit into P’li’s hand hard enough to draw blood. “LET ME GO!”

P’li threw Korra back down into the chair, and tied the rope around Korra roughly. P'li pinned Korra's arms to her side as tightly as she could, making Korra’s arms go numb. From the main chamber, Naga barked in terror, but Ghazan sealed the entrance shut with a flick of his wrist. Muffled from behind the stone wall, Korra could still hear the panicked howls. 

“LET ME GO!” With a deep breath, Korra spit out a breath full of fire, lighting up the dark chamber with a flash of brilliant red. The fabric on Zaheer’s shirt caught fire, and Ming-Hua moved to put it out. With fury entering his voice, He looked at the struggling Korra and spoke a simple order. “Muzzle her.”

P’li removed her belt, and grabbed Korra by the jaw. “We aren’t going to hurt you but you can’t fight back like this.” With a squeeze she forced open the child's mouth, and shoved the leather belt inside. Korra began chewing on it immediately, trying to tear through it with her teeth. The awful taste filled her mouth as tears welled up and spilled down her chin.

“Ghazan, we can begin.”

The earth-bender rose to his full height, and the glowing orb of lava in his hands began to cool. With the help of Ming-Hua’s water, the lava was cooled with a quick hiss of steam. In the dim light, Korra could see that it wasn’t lava, but green colored glass. Ghazan pulled a candle from his pocket and fixed it to the base of the lamp. P’li snapped her fingers and the candle caught alight. From inside the green lamp, a yellowish haze was cast over the walls of the chamber.

Zaheer knelt down so he could look Korra in the eyes. “What is about to happen here will make you the first truly free Avatar. From this day forward you will be a weapon of the Red Lotus.”

P’li clenched her fists, and from the left hand Korra bit, a steady flow of blood dripped onto the floor.

Ghazan began to move the glass lamp, in large slow circles around Zaheer. It passed in front of Korra’s eyes, then back around Zaheers head. Again and again it passed. Korra tried to look away, but two strong hands grabbed either side of her head and forced her to look at the lamp straight on. A trickle of blood dripped onto Korra’s left shoulder. 

Zaheer started speaking, in a low calm voice that made Korra’s skin crawl.

“You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives.”

P'li's voice whispered from behind Korra. 

“Please Zaheer, that wasn’t the phrase we agreed on.”

Ignoring her, Zaheer repeated the original phrase. “You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives.”

The lamp passed by again, the glare from the light burning into Korra’s eyes.

“Zaheer! We only need to block out the past lives! You promised! She isn’t a weapon!”

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

His words were starting to bleed together, as the pain and fear started to ebb from Korra’s body. The warm light of the lamp was lulling her into a strange sort of daze.

“ZAHEER!” It was a scream of such intense hatred Korra could barely understand where it had come from.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

The lamp passed by again, it was so pretty it made Korra forget about the painful binding and P’lis clawing hands. She was still screaming at Zaheer, but whatever she was saying wasn’t reaching Korra's ears.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

His voice was smooth, melting into the crevices of her brain one syllable at a time.

There was a struggle around her, and suddenly P’li’s hands let go, but she wasn’t needed. Korra didn’t plan to look away from the lamp.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

It was so peaceful, and so nice to hear. Korra could breathe easy.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

There was an honesty to his word, it just sounded right. The world melted away save for the soft candle light. It was all she needed.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

The candle was snuffed out, and Korra fell into a sleep deeper than she had ever known. Alone in the dark, Ten thousand voices called out to her but she no longer had a way to listen to them. 


	6. The New Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra takes some time to recover from a traumatic vision.
> 
> The Red Lotus experience a fracture, and Korra finds someone she can trust.

**Chapter 6: The New Normal**

Korra could feel a bolt of white hot pain splitting her skull wide open. It started at the top of her head, and sliced its way all the way down to the base of her collarbone. Her body burned like she couldn’t get enough air and a scorching heat boiled up inside her, begging to be set free. 

Like a balloon swelling with water, she could feel a pressure building behind her eyes, inside her fingers, crawling just below her skin. The pain grew and grew, screaming like it wanted to break its way out by any means necessary.

The events of her vision were a nauseating contradiction, a swirl of crystal clear sensations and blurry images smashing together in her memory. Something had been planted in the other Korra’s mind, a mental block to keep her from accessing her past lives. It was a pain Korra had already gone through once, and it was not something she ever wanted to relive.

The fragments formed a single truth that cut through the haze and branded itself into the surface of Korra's brain. _The other Korra had no way of contacting her other lives now, and she was alone with the Red Lotus._

The pain dug in its teeth, and suddenly Korra bolted awake. She screamed in agony as the pain leaked out of her like juice through the broken skin of a ripe berry. In a full panic she covered her eyes, convinced that something was spilling out of her and onto the bed sheets, but when she dared to look her hands were dry.

Just like that the pain was gone. The seething boiling pain had dissolved into the open air and left behind a terrible hollow sensation where it had been just seconds before.

She was in one of the suite bedrooms, the white sheets twisted around her like she had been thrashing about in her sleep. Asami and Kai were watching her from two chairs seated right next to the bed. As soon as they heard her scream, they both leapt into action.

“She’s awake!” Kai called, running out the door and into the hallway.

“Korra! Can you hear me? Where does it hurt? What can I do?” Asami’s panicked voice crackled like she hadn’t had anything to drink in days. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and large dark bags hung under her eyes. 

“I… I could be better but I think I’m alright… How long was I out?” Korra already knew she wasn’t going to like the answer.

“Four days, you passed out a few minutes after you started meditating. You were screaming and your whole body was seizing up! I thought you were- It looked like you were being tortured…” Just describing it was enough for Asami to start crying. She pressed her head into Korra’s shoulder, letting the sobs shake her entire body. It took a great deal of effort but Korra lifted her arms so she could pull Asami into a hug. 

“I’m scared too, I didn’t know this would happen but if I did then maybe I-”

Asami interrupted her apology, her voice firm. “You don’t have to justify yourself. We put ourselves in danger all of the time, we are going to see each other hurt and that isn’t going to change. Just let me cry over you a bit, I need to let myself feel scared...”

Korra knew what Asami was trying to say. Pain was unavoidable, not just for the Avatar, but for anyone who was willing to live with an open heart. Danger was something the Avatar had to live with, the same way Asami had to live in fear of the danger that title brought with it. 

Asami clung to Korra, crying until she couldn’t anymore. When she sat up, Korra couldn’t help but laugh. Even with snot running down her face, and her eyes red from crying, she still looked radiant. 

Korra took on a lighter tone, smiling as she said, “You sure you don’t want to look for a less high risk girlfriend? I think statistically I must be the single most stress inducing girlfriend on the planet.” With a grunt, Korra managed to lean over and grab a handkerchief from the nightstand. She handed it to Asami so she could blow her nose and wipe her face.

Through her tears, Asami started to laugh. “It feels like you end up in mortal peril almost non-stop. Luckily you’re kinda cute so I guess I’ll keep you around a bit longer.” Now they were both laughing, and the color was starting to come back to Asami’s face. Korra took her hand and give it a gentle squeeze. 

“I think I know why this is happening to me.” Korra whispered. “The whiplash that comes and goes whenever I cross over after a particularly stressful memory. The other Korra is dealing with an enormous amount of anguish, and to experience what she experiences, I have to go through it with her.”

An arc of terror shot through Asami’s eyes, and she clenched her hand tightly around Korra’s fingers. “Think about what that could do to you! Living through one lifetime of trauma and conflict is already a serious enough thing to ask of you. Do you think you can survive going through all that you went through a second time?”

The question hung in the air without an answer. Korra knew what the Red Lotus did to her body and mind in this timeline, certainly they had worse things in store for the other Korra. There was no guarantee that the backlash wasn’t going to get worse moving forward.

“The Red Lotus got ahold of a Dai Li agent, and they learned how to alter minds through brainwashing. They placed a mental block in the other Korra's mind so she couldn’t contact her past lives. They did it so she-”

The realizationstruck both of them at the same time. 

_So she couldn’t reach out for help._

From the doorway, they could hear Jinora coming to the same conclusion a split second behind them with a loud gasp.

“How long have you been listening?” Korra said with a sigh. From either side of the doorframe, Jinora and Kai poked their heads in, embarrassment on their faces.

“We heard you and Asami having a heart to heart so we decided to wait outside.” Kai said, offering a sheepish grin in place of an apology. Korra laughed and gestured for them to come in. The two air-benders came inside, carrying cups of water, and a tray stacked with food.

“You should really eat something first, and then catch us up on everything you saw.” Jinora said, offering Korra a spoon and a glass bowl of rice pudding. Korra had pins and needles all over her body, and the last meal she ate was four days ago. She could feel a knot in her stomach begging for something to eat.

“Alright, but only if all of you guys stay and eat with me. I won’t eat unless it’s a family meal.” Korra crossed her arms and gave an exaggerated pout. She was trying to lighten the mood, and she knew she wasn’t the only one in need of a good meal. The three of them all looked downright miserable, probably skipping meals just to keep an eye on her. 

Korra must have guessed correctly, because when the food was ready, it was gone in the blink of an eye. Kai and Jinora tore through their steamed buns while Asami gulped down a bowl of fried noodles in less time than it took Korra to take a single bite of pudding. They really had put everything off just to stay by her side. It was sweet, but Korra was still a little annoyed that they failed to take care of themselves while she was out. 

“The Red Lotus brainwashed the other me, so they can turn her into an Avatar who says and does whatever she is told. If the other Korra ever got in contact with her past lives, they could guide her away from whatever garbage the Red Lotus is feeding her. Blocking out the past Avatars is key to accomplishing whatever they have planned for me.”

Asami twirled a leftover noodle between her fingers, crushing it into a beige paste before dropping it back into her bowl. “Do you think the brainwashing carries over? The mental experiences of the other Korra clearly have an effect on you here. What if their plan is to take control of you through this connection?” She had a point, and Korra had even wondered about this herself.

“Well I can tell you right now that as of this very moment I still think the Red Lotus are utter scum, and if they were trying to brainwash me in this universe I don’t think it worked. I’m still me, and if I was face to face with Zaheer I’d fire-bend right in his smug face no questions asked.” Korra threw a few punches in the air to accent her point.

Jinora had decided to write everything down, since there were no other books on this sort of phenomena at the moment. She wanted to make sure everything was well documented in case future Avatars ever had to deal with a situation like this on their own. She scribbled down a few more notes before asking. “If they wanted the Avatar gone for good, they would have poisoned you the second they got to the island. Do you have any idea what their new goal is?”

Korra drank the last of her water, already feeling a million times better now that she had a full stomach. “The other Korra overhears things, but she doesn't fully understand everything going on around her. P’li was upset about something Zaheer did. They agreed on a different brainwashing phrase, and Zaheer changed it last minute. If I could find out more about that, I think I’d understand their scheme a bit better.”

Asami took a deep breath, and asked, “Does this mean you are going to cross over again? Don’t you think you need to rest a little while longer?”

“I agree. I want to cross over one more time before we reach the Fire Nation, but not today. I think we all need a day to recover.” After saying so, Korra saw Asami visibly relax, and a smile appeared on her face.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Jinora went to sleep as soon as the meeting was over, as she had been unable to rest while Korra was comatose. She flopped into the bed without changing, snoring loudly within seconds of hitting the pillows.

Kai had enough energy to clean up the dinner plates, and make a short trip around the airship to inform the crew that Korra was doing better. He showered and eventually went to sleep in the bed across from Jinora’s. 

Korra and Asami stayed close, neither wanting to be alone. The airship had running water and heat, but no working showers. Instead they prepared a tub of hot water for a sponge bath. Together they went through Asami’s red suitcase and picked out the best travel shampoos and lotions before starting. 

The bathroom soon filled with warm steam, and taking turns, they wiped the stress from their bodies one handful of soap at a time. The sweet aroma of Asami’s lotions was just what Korra needed to unwind and recenter herself. Despite being airborne, she felt firmly rooted on some invisible ground beneath her. She wasn’t stuck in the sealed off cavern chamber, she was here with the people she loved taking a long relaxing bath. She was herself again. It wasn't just her either, as it looked like Asami was back to her usual perfect self again, her hair neat and her eyes clear.

After the bath, they found a set of luxurious bathrobes to wear, courtesy of Future Industries of course. The fabric was soft to the touch and it trapped in the lingering warmth of the bath perfectly. Together, they crawled into bed, the last vestiges of strength sapped from their limbs. 

Struggling to stay awake, Korra mumbled, “You look like yourself again.”

Muffled from laying face down on the pillow, Asami asked “What do you mean by that?”

“I don’t know… seeing you so worried about me. It made my heart race, knowing you care enough to stay by my side. But at the same time, you didn’t really look like you. The Asami I know is just so strong, it was different seeing you so vulnerable.”

Asami lifted her face from the pillow, and gave Korra a smile soft enough to rival the expensive fabric both of them were wrapped up in. “I don’t mind being vulnerable if it’s for you. Having you for a weakness isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

Korra could feel her face flushing, drinking in what Asami had just said. As she fell asleep she played the words over and over again in her head.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Korra wouldn’t attempt crossing over again until evening the next day. The airship was docked high in the mountains within a refueling depot. They would be crossing over the border of the Earth Kingdom into the Fire Nation by midnight tonight, so they were stopping to refuel and radio ahead to the proper authorities.

Korra radioed Tenzin and Pema, thanking them for the food they packed and catching them up on her visions. She wanted to leave out the fact that she was unconscious for four days, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Tenzin. He sounded worried over the radio, but there wasn’t much he could do either way.

When she was ready, Korra sat on her bed, with Jinora sitting on a cushion on the floor across from her. Asami leaned in and gave Korra a gentle kiss on the cheek. 

“No matter what they try to throw at you, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Korra was ready, and as she focused on the red necklace in her hand, the gate began to open. It was different this time, the gate branching into two unique paths.

Jinora’s spirit was close by, and instead of running into a wall, she followed through without any resistance. Before they could make sense of what was happening, Jinora was torn away, moving through the gate too fast to see where she went, and Korra was pulled back into the body of her alternate self. A wave of memories washed over her, filling in the gaps as the two minds became one.

. . . . . . . . . . .

Two years ago, Zaheer killed a man in the storage room, and spoke words that Korra could not fully remember. Since then life had fallen into a discordant rhythm of regimented routines. 

Her week began with water bending lessons from Ming-Hua, the two of them fishing in the surrounding ocean and hunting larger animals on nearby islands. Using spears made of ice, Korra would hunt the small game and Ming-Hua would handle the larger beasts. They would come home only when they had enough meat for the rest of the Red Lotus. At the end of these hunting trips she would reek of sea water and animal blood. Ming-Hua wouldn’t talk to Korra unless it was to instruct her on her technique or to point out nearby animals. 

Korra saw her less as an instructor and more of a packmate, two squid sharks hunting together in the deep water, no words needed in order to get the job done.

Ghazan would take over after that, only allowed to teach her earth-bending stances since Zaheer banned any further changes to the islands. Since the stances only took a short while, they would often goof off, creating small statues out of stone that could easily be destroyed should someone come check up on them. They mostly went around doing chores on the base, grooming Naga and exercising on the topside of the island. Ghazan would show Korra how to carve wood with a knife, skip stones and sew up tears in old fabrics. 

Korra thought Ghazan was the most impatient of her instructors, and for good reason. He often spoke of his lava bending, and due to its destructive power, there was little use for him here in hiding. Korra didn’t think he was as useless as he complained he was, since he took care of the base more than anyone else. Every minor repair to the plumbing, the heating and the electricity was thanks to her and Ghazan. Even Zaheer wore a robe with stitching on the sleeve done by Ghazan.

“He hides those knives in his sleeves, and he always tears them open on accident. I swear I have to stitch these back up three times a week because of him.” Ghazan mumbled as he worked.

At the end of the week, Korra spent time with Zaheer. Together they would focus on two things, her physical training and her studies. She was forbidden from using her bending while sparring with Zaheer, only able to rely on her fists and kicks. Zaheer moved so quickly she often found herself striking nothing but air.

Once they were done for the day, they would sit in his bedroom while he read to her from his books. Together they went over mathematics, poetry and philosophy. He would read in slow deliberate words, often pausing to ask her what she thought of the author, and if she could understand what they were trying to say. Most of the time it sounded like nothing but gibberish to her, but she would nod and listen nonetheless.

Everytime she went into his room, Korra could see the glass lamp sitting on his desk, unused since that first day, gathering a healthy layer of dust.

Korra never felt comfortable around Zaheer, he didn’t allow for the comfortable silence like Ming-Hua or the light hearted fun of Ghazan. He was strict and he was unwilling to bend. Before anything else he was her teacher, and it seemed like he wanted her to be nothing other than his student.

The sign outside the door still read _Zaheer and P’li’s Room,_ since no one willing to take the time to change it.

At night, all four would sit down and eat together. Ghazan was the only one willing to make conversation. Occasionally he could get Ming-Hua to smile, and if they were really lucky she would join in. They would mostly talk about how well Korra was learning, or complain about the most recent shipment from Unalaq not being enough. If she was in a really good mood, Ming-Hua would talk about old water tribe legends, about spirits coming out of the sea to gobble up naughty children, and Korra would always feign terror at the end, causing Ming-Hua to smile at her success.

When the weekend came, it was time for Korra to visit P’li.

On one of her fishing dives, Ming-Hua came across two underwater sandbars leading away from the main island, connecting to two others. With the help of Ghazan, they carved two underground tunnels so they could explore these new islands.

The first island was made into a back up base, with another generator in case of an emergency. Three men came on one of Unalaq’s boats and took up residence there. Korra was not allowed to visit this island, and was not allowed to talk to these men.

They were more members of the Red Lotus, but they were not part of Zaheer's group. They were here in case the island needed defending, and Korra had only seen them a handful of times in the past two years. As far as she knew they were allowed to leave and had a small boat docked on their island so they could visit the mainland for emergency supply runs.

The other island was set aside for P’li, where she now spent most of her time. P’li would come over often, but she never stayed the night. She never ate dinner with them, choosing to grow and catch her own food instead. They would include her on important meetings but she was no longer living on the main island.

The weekends spent with P’li were always the highlight of Korra's week. When it was time to go, she would pack some smoked fish for Naga, and some rice cakes for herself. Naga had grown out of her puppy phase, and was now a good head taller than Korra even while on all fours.

Ghazan would accompany Korra down the winding spiral staircase they dug together, and switch on the tunnel lights for her. The tunnel was deep under the base, and had to be cut small for maximum support. It was wide enough for two people to walk shoulder to shoulder through it, but short enough that adults often had to duck just to fit. Every few steps there were two support pillars and a lightbulb on every other pillar.

“Good luck Korra. Give me the signal when you make it to the other side.” Ghazan gave her a short hug, picking Korra off the ground a little as he did so.

At the far end of the tunnel was another spiral staircase, leading upwards. Tucked on a metal hook was a small hand mirror. Korra picked it up, forming a small flame in her hand. She held up the mirror and wiggled it back and forth, reflecting the flame down the long tunnel. 

The lights flickered off, meaning that Ghazan had seen the signal. Korra took a deep breath and began to climb.

This cave was half the size of the main one, with only three chambers, which Korra had dug herself when P’li first moved here. A room for eating, a room for sleeping and a room for bathing. Some of the plumbing pipes had been moved all the way over to this island, but none of the electricity, P’li didn’t need any.

Korra set her bag down next to the unlit fire pit in the center room, and ran up one of the tunnels leading to the surface. The surface of this island was heavily wooded, with tall yellow grass in every direction. 

A large plot of land had been tilled in between the trees, and an impressive garden had been planted. It made the one Ghazan planted look pitiful in comparison. There was a whole field dedicated to mushrooms alone. There were potatoes, cabbages, wild onions, kale, soybeans, peanuts, wheat, and tomatoes growing as far as the eye could see. Each plot was strategically hidden between the trees, so they could still get sunlight but looked wild enough should anyone fly over the island. Patches of wildflower grew with not a weed in sight, creating a bed of vibrant colors as Korra made her way through.

Several trees had been cut down, with a sapling now growing from a split carved in the center of the stump, again, all spread out intentionally to avoid detection. A soft path worn in the dirt meant Korra was getting close,

Near the edge of the cliff, there was a small meadow, where dozens of flat stones had been dug up and placed in a large circular pattern. The yellow grass grew in between the stones, almost hiding them entirely, but Korra knew they were there because she had helped place many of them.

Sitting cross legged, in the center of the circle, was P’li. Naga barked when she saw her, breaking P’li’s concentration.

Internally, Korra was shocked by just how different P’li looked, but the other Korra was used to it by now.

Her hair had grown wild, now jagged as if she had cutting it herself when it grew too long. She was not wearing the dark leather armor she had when they first met, but a gentle grey robe that had more makeshift patches than it did of its original material. She was barefoot, a thick layer of dirt masking two years worth of calluses. She looked lean, strong and more fit that she had been before, and she looked happy.

Naga leapt at P’li, placing large slobbering kisses all over her face. P’li broke into loud full bodied laughter as she tried to shove the affectionate animal away.

“Korra! Do me a favor and call off your beast! I cannot break away from her powerful smooches!” She cried in a mocking helplessness.

Korra whistled and Naga retreated, choosing to bound around the two of them in playful circles instead. Korra took off her boots and sat down across from P’li, taking on the same meditative position.

“It’s good to see you P’li. I’m ready to resume my training.” She put her hand around her fist and gave a short bow. P’li wiped some of the slobber away from her face and returned the bow.

“Do you remember what we were working on last time?” She asked, her voice totally different from the furious screams that ended the last vision.

“We focused on our Water Chakra, about letting go of our guilt.”

P’li gave a slight nod, and chuckled to herself. “I think you’re rather lucky, doing this while still so young. You don’t have much guilt to dwell on after all.”

Korra took a deep breath, focusing on the energy flowing between the two of them. “So the older I get the more guilt I’ll have? Growing up doesn’t sound very fun.”

P’li let out a sigh. “It’s not. The longer you live, the more the guilt builds up. You find yourself wondering how your life could have turned out if things were just a little bit different. A single moment of guilt can become a whole day, then a week, a month and eventually you can regretting everything.”

“Do you feel guilty about anything P’li?” Korra asked, her voice calm.

“Yes I do. But the key is knowing who actually holds the guilt. We are only in control of our own actions after all, what others do to us isn’t something we should blame ourselves for.” Despite her clear efforts to stay calm, Korra could hear the emotion rising in P’li’s voice.

Softly, she asked “Are you talking about Zaheer?”

A flicker of anger crossed P'li's face for a moment, but it was gone just as quickly.

“No actually, I was talking about someone else. Zaheer and I have our disagreements, but I feel no guilt about what happened.”

There was a noticeable change in how Korra and P’li spoke to one another. It wasn’t a child prodding at a stoic adult, there was a real feeling of honesty between them. Inside her mind, Korra was taken aback a little when the other Korra asked, “You told me once that you loved him, and that you wanted to marry him. Has that changed?” 

“No. I still love him, but I needed to be away from him so I could forgive him. Having the space to be alone and to teach you in my own way was what I needed then and it’s what I need now. I know he still loves me because he understood enough to give me this space.”

“Ok. I like having time away from him too.” Korra took another deep breath, and the two sat there meditating until the sun started to set. P’li gave a stretch and stood up, helping Korra to her feet.

“I hope you are hungry, because I haven’t eaten anything all day.” She said, holding Korra’s hand all the way back to the cave.

The two ate out of wooden bowls, frying vegetables and fish over the fire pit on sharpened wooden skewers. The blackened tips had been hardened with fire and every time Korra took a bite she could taste the lingering smokey residue. Meals with P’li were her favorite, she would distill sea water and use the salt to make pickle cabbages, and she would make soft golden bread rolls by hand. At some point Unalaq had shipped over a few hens that P’li would use for eggs. She would break them on a metal pan and fry them over the fire, served with crushed herbs and sea salt.

Before bed, they went through the basic fire-bending stances, and Korra was allowed to punch a burlap bag filled with grass and reeds for practice. Her belly full of food, and her body sore from exercise, she was ready for bed. This night however, Korra noticed P’li heading outside with a bundle in her arms.

“It’s warm and dry outside, I thought we could sleep in the hammock. Stormy season is just around the corner and I don’t know how many more nights we are going to get like this.”

Together, they walked out into the night, guided by a small flame in P’lis’ hand. They came to two large trees and fumbled around in the dark until they each found one of the two metal hooks bored into the trunks. They latched the hammock to the hooks and soon their bedding was ready.

P’li climbed in first, the soft netting straining under her weight. Korra climbed in second, worming her way into the crook of P’lis arm. Naga followed them, flopping to the ground directly underneath them.

The night air was cool, but pressed up agains’t P’li, Korra felt safe and warm. Looking up through the branches of the trees, the stars shone brightly back down on them.

“Me and Ming-Hua killed a Boar-q-pine the other day. It ran right at us and I made a big spike of ice for it to run into. We all got to eat some of it. If you want to try some we still have it in the pantry.” Korra whispered.

“That sounds nice, but I don’t think I can go back just yet.”

Korra squirmed about, turning so she could look P’li in the eyes. “Why not? I hate only getting to see you for two days. You don’t have to forgive Zaheer but maybe you can try coming back just for a little while.”

P’li sounded sad, her voice distant even though they were right next to each other. “Zaheer did something he promised he would never do. Until I know that he’s genuinely sorry I can’t be around him.”

“Could you tell me? If it’s not too upsetting?” Korra asked, pushing a little further.

There was a long silence from P’li, before she finally answered.

“When I was a little girl, someone hurt me very badly. Zaheer saved me, and he promised that he would never act like that person. But two years ago he broke that promise. I wish I could tell you more but there is too much to say in just one night.”

“Could you tell me one day P’li?” Korra said, a long yawn following her question.

“Of course my dear, one day.” P’li planted a kiss on Korra’s head, and the two fell asleep together, under a sea of stars.


	7. The Second Compromise.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trail of disconnected clues start to come together.  
> The Red Lotus bond over a haircut, and Korra is given her first mission.

**Chapter 7: The Second Compromise.**

With a few sleepy blinks, Korra awoke from her trance. Returning to her body without a hint of discomfort. She yawned and stretched like she had been through nothing more than a gentle nap. The first thing she saw was the look of relief on Asami’s face. It was a sight she didn’t mind waking up to.

“Have you come back to us in one piece this time?” Asami said, taking hold of Korra’s hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“Nothing bad happened to the other me, it was actually… kinda nice I think.” Saying it aloud felt strange, associating happy memories with the Red Lotus for once. These were the people who tried to kill her, who threw the Earth Kingdom into chaos and allowed Kuvira to demolish vast swathes of Republic City. Why did the other Korra feel so safe with P’li on that new island?

Clearly something had changed inside the combustion-bender. Zaheer breaking his promise must have shattered her trust in him on a deep fundamental level. Their separation had clearly awoken a new sense of freedom in P’li, and it was like she was a brand new person.

In her main reality, P’li was more than willing to fight and even die for Zaheer. She spent years locked up for her beliefs and was loyal until the very end. Whatever Zaheer did, it had to have something to do with the Dai-Li and the phrase he chose that night.

_You are the only Avatar, loyal weapon of the Red Lotus. You have no past lives._

P'li had been on board when it came to blocking out Korra’s past lives, so the only change had to be the line, “ _Loyal weapon of the Red Lotus.”_ That had to be what Zaheer added without her consent. Why would that one line affect her so much?

Korra was ready to share what she saw with the others, when she caught a sight of Jinora’s face. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, her face deathly pale and beads of sweat dripped for her forehead. Crossing over this time had been different, and whatever barrier kept Jinora out hadn’t been there. Jinora must have crossed over as well.

“Jinora! Speak to me, what did you see?” Korra said, taking hold of the small girl’s shoulders. Korra would never forgive herself if Jinora was hurt because of her.

Slapping both hands to either side of her face, Jinora let out a bewildered scream of terror, “I WAS A BABY!”

There was a pause, and Kai nervously asked for clarification. “You mean, when you were in the other world with Korra you were a… you were a baby?”

Jinora shook her head, the look of horror slowly being replaced with one of confusion instead. “I WAS STUCK IN THE BODY OF A BABY! THE WORLD WAS LOUD AND BLURRY AND I COULD BARELY MOVE AND I WAS LIKE A FOOT TALL.” She let out a long airy groan, pulling at the skin of her face with her finger tips. “IT WAS THE WEIRDEST FEELING I DON’T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THE PROPER MAGNITUDE OF JUST HOW WEIRD IT WAS!” She flopped backwards onto the floor, Asami’s pillows catching her as originally intended. 

“But… are you hurt at all? You weren’t in pain as a baby were you?” Korra asked, trying her best to not sound worried.

Jinora let out a long bubbling noise as she breathed out, kicking her legs out in frustration. “No I’m fine, just totally wigged out. It’s like biting into something super bitter or having your legs full of pins and needles. It isn’t pain, it’s just a super weird feeling that takes a little bit to go away.”

All three of them let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Jinora made it back without any serious backlash. Being stuck in a baby's body was far from the worst thing that could have happened to her.

“Wait a second… The other Korra I saw this time was around seven years old, and I guess it had to be sometime in the late summer… Oh no you can’t be serious…” Korra couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the absurdity of it all. Judging by their expressions, Korra could tell Jinora was on the same page, but Asami and Kai had no idea what they were talking about.

“Wow that is so stupid… The reason I couldn’t cross over with Korra at first, was because _I wasn’t born in that world yet_.” Jinora buried her face in her hands, failing to muffle her pained laughter.

The giggles started to infect the rest of the room, and before they knew it everyone was laughing uncontrollably. After all the confusion and danger, it was oddly fitting that they would finally solve one mystery only to have such a wonderfully stupid answer waiting for them.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Before they got out of range, Korra made one last call to Tenzin. Asami, Jinora and Kai all listened in so she could tell them about her most recent vision together.

The Red Lotus had obviously made the islands their permanent home, planning to stay out of sight for as long as possible. With Korra’s past lives safely locked behind the Dai Li brainwashing, they had moved onto the next phase of their scheme. The Red Lotus was training her both in bending and spirituality. While it seemed like the original plan was for Zaheer be her spiritual guide, P’li had begun to teach Korra without the knowledge of others. The lessons she was teaching her on that island were clearly something only between the two of them.

“Zaheer was a very educated man, even as a non-bender he was highly trained in the ways of the spirit world. But P’li would have had more hands on experience with the Chakra gates overall.” Tenzin commented, his voice crackling through the shaky signal. 

“What makes you say that?” Korra replied.

“Well, she was a combustion-bender. To master it she must have had a great deal of control over her Chakras. While I don’t know much about combustion-bending, I studied the Chakras a great deal in my youth.” His voice cut out at the end, as the airship flew further away from civilization.

Korra had to slap the radio a few times before the connection stabilized enough for her to respond. “Who would know more about combustion-bending and Chakras? It might help to understand what P’li is trying to teach the other me.”

“The only man who would know anything about it would be Lord Zuko. I’ll try to get in contact with him and relay to you any information he has on combustion-benders. While you’re traveling Jinora could teach you more about the corresponding Chakras. She really is an expert on these-” The radio cut out, and the signal light switched from green to red.

Korra waited a few minutes only for the radio to remain silent. Frustrated she set the receiver down and flopped back into her metal chair. The four of them sat in the communications room, mulling over what they had just uncovered.

Her last vision wasn’t sitting right with her now that she had gone over it with her friends. Korra began to speak, trying to uncover her own feelings in the process. “P’li is definitely the odd one out when it comes to the Red Lotus. Ghazan and Ming-Hua are loyal to the cause, but P’li only seems loyal to Zaheer. With their relationship damaged she was acting like a different person. She was acting like she- like she actually cared about the other Korra.” 

Asami tried to bite her fingernails, but was stopped when she realized she was still wearing her gloves. “Maybe she does? The Red Lotus are a bunch of criminals, but they aren’t immune to feelings. From what you told us they have been looking after the other Korra for more than two years now, and maybe they can’t see her as just another prisoner anymore.” 

“Yeah, even brainwashed, the Korra I know is pretty hard not to like.” Kai added, which prompted Korra to give him a light punch in the arm. 

The playful mood didn’t last, and a frown worked its way back onto Korra’s face. “I think the other Korra is getting attached to P’li, seeing her as a mother figure since she doesn’t have anyone else. It feels so unnatural to experience all these feelings knowing who she really is underneath it all.”

Jinora rocked back and forth in her chair, her brow furrowed as she put the pieces together in her head. “Have you considered that maybe you _don’t_ know who P’li really is? The P’li in our universe was a criminal who spent thirteen years in jail. She was probably furious with her captors and twisted by thoughts of revenge. When she finally got out she was probably a much darker person, willing to go to much greater lengths purely fueled by her resentment. The P’li you see in your visions didn’t lose thirteen years of her life, and maybe she is on a different path because of it. You said that she looked happy, and wasn’t letting Zaheer control her anymore. I know you don’t like the idea of the Red Lotus being humans underneath their evil, but maybe that’s what you are getting a chance to see through the other Korra’s experiences?”

Jinora scrunched up her face, clearly uncomfortable asking so much of Korra. There was a dull persistent anger inside Korra, unwilling to even consider the feelings of the Red Lotus. They were to blame for one of the lowest moments in her life, it wasn’t normal to see the other Korra curled up in P’li’s arms like they were one big happy family.

On the other hand, Korra knew deep down the Red Lotus couldn’t be monsters every moment of every day. It wasn’t something she could easily admit, but maybe there was something human about them after all, buried deep under the delusions and violence.

“Maybe their concern for the other Korra is genuine, but it doesn’t mean I have to like them back.” Korra said, crossing her arms and sticking out her bottom lip in a pronounced pout. Without much else to discuss, the team packed up the radio and got ready for bed. It had been a long day and they still had some distance to travel.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

It was a full three days before Korra tried to cross over again. Asami insisted on a metal health break for both of them. They took some time to unwind, enjoy the last of Pema’s packed meals, and even take a break for some fishing. The airship parked near a coral reef and Asami pulled out a collection of brand new fishing rods for everyone to use.

As they reeled in a handful of edible fish, Korra couldn’t help but think about her time with Ming-Hua. The sensation of diving deep into the dark water, chasing down their prey and impaling the massive fish with their icy spears… it all came rushing to the surface as the day slowly turned to night.

Jinora was doing her best to write down everything she knew about the Chakras gates. She spent most of her time in her room, scribble down her notes on sheet after sheet of looseleaf paper. 

Kai had been following Asami around on her repair patrols, and she was doing her best to teach him about basic airship maintenance. He had only broken three pressure valves so far, which Asami counted as a win all things considered.

Although she enjoyed the quiet time, Korra could feel herself getting anxious putting the other world off for so long. Like a splinter under her skin, she had to know what happened next. 

When it was time, Korra and Jinora sat down to focus, while Asami and Kai were busy coming up with a makeshift card game where they used lug-nuts as betting chips. It was nice to see Asami outside her high alert mode when it came to crossing over. Maybe they would get lucky, and there wouldn’t be such a harsh backlash these next few attempts.

“Do you think you can handle being baby Jinora again? You don’t have to follow me if you don’t want to.”

Jinora made a face at the prospect, but with considerable resolve said, “I can do this. Maybe I’ll be able to make sense of my surroundings this time, report how the outside world is doing in this new timeline. I have a feeling I might overhear something considering my proximity to dad and all his political friends.”

With that, they closed their eyes and braced for the opening of the gate. There was a swirl of familiar energy and they were swept through to the other side without much resistance.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“How old are your kids now Unalaq?” Ghazan said, nervously sorting through that month's supply crate. He had his long shaggy hair tied up in a bun and was wearing a simple white tunic today. 

Unalaq paused, scribbling down a final note in the small sealskin journal he took down all their requests in. “They’re six. Is that the only inane small talk you have in store for me? Or do you want me to sit down and listen to every little thought in your head before I go?” Unalaq spat.

Back in her normal reality, Korra was more accustomed to the false dignity Unalaq presented to her. It was clear that he didn’t put on any masks when dealing with his comrades and his more venomous side was free to take charge.

Ghazan scratched the back of his neck, unable to get the words out at first. “Well… Korra doesn’t have any other kids her age, and it would be a security risk if anyone else visited her… I think your kids are the only people in the world who could-”

“No. Under no circumstances would I bring Desna and Eska to this place. The risk far outweighs any potential benefits.”

Korra was watching the two of them bicker from her chair in the main chamber. It must have been almost a year since the last vision, since her legs could almost touch the ground. She was eating a bowl of cold rice and trying her best to keep her long matted hair out of her eyes.

Ghazan was a strong man, but he crumbled easily when it came to expressing himself honestly. “I know it’s a risk but Korra never gets to play with other kids. We want her to feel comfortable with us and-”

“Let me explain this in simple terms so I won’t have to repeat myself. Every new person who knows about this hideout is another person we need to keep an eye on, another person we have to bribe, another potential leak that ends with all of us dead. You really think two _children_ could be trusted to keep their mouths shut about a secret island base where they got to meet the cousin they thought went missing? They could tell their mother, their tutors, any random passerby within earshot when they suddenly feel a little chatty? Use your head and do your job for once.”

As if to signal the end of discussion, Unalaq shoved a rectangular black whet stone into Ghazan’s hands, and left with a flip of his cloak. They listened to his footsteps vanish down the tunnel and waited for the rattle of the pulleys to mark his departure down the side of the cliff.

“What icicle does he have stuck up his ass?” Ghazan said, sitting down next to Korra.

“What does ass mean?” Korra asked, finishing her last spoonful of rice.

Ghazan rubbed his temples with his free hand, letting out a disappointed sigh. “It’s one of those ‘naughty’ words I told you about. Please don’t use it unless you are really angry ok? Those words are only for angry grown ups to use.”

Korra nodded excitedly, mentally cataloging the word next to all the other ones she had heard him use in the past. She was saving these words for a special occasion.

They were soon joined by Ming-Hua and Zaheer, who all looked more than a little bedraggled, all four of them weighed down by a wild head of messy hair. “You’re just in time, with Korra’s permission I think we can start.” Ghazan pulled out a long pair of metal shears, and began running it along the length of the whet stone.

Korra stood up in her chair and slammed her hands back down on the table, causing it to shake. She took a deep breath and shouted “I declare today national haircut day! Mister Ghazan you have permission to cut our hair!” 

Ghazan and Ming-Hua laughed at her enthusiasm, and even Zaheer couldn’t hide his smile. It wasn’t always on the same day, but at least once a year they would all gather in the main chamber so Ghazan could trim their long unkempt hair one after another. It was tradition for Korra to go last, only allowed to get a haircut if she washed and brushed Naga on her own.

Ghazan placed a grey bed sheet on the floor, setting one of the wooden chairs in the middle, with his tools laid out on the table within easy reach. There was a silver pair of shears, a small curved razor, several blue bricks of soap, and a plump yellow sponge. He bent a small pillar of stone next to the table, and dug a small basin in the center, placing a few smooth rocks inside. With a wave of his hand, the rocks grew red hot, and he was able to heat up a metal bucket of water by placing it on top.

Korra got her own station on the other side of the room. All on her own, she dug out a Naga sized hole in the floor, using it as a tub for water she bent from the plumbing pipes. She whistled for Naga, who was more than happy to dive in, already launching suds into the air where they floated back down like wayward dandelion tufts. Korra cleaned Naga with a heavy wire brush, pulling out great clumps of fur and debris with each stroke.

On the other side of the room. Ming-Hua went first, since her hair took the shortest to finish. Not because it was easy, but because she wasn’t willing to sit still for very long.

“When was the last time you brushed this mess? I think there is a living starfish somewhere in here.” Ghazan chided, trying to force a comb through the long black tangle. Bits of sand and old coral spilled out onto the floor and Ming-Hua let out a yelp of pain.

“Take it easy! Just chop it short and get it over with!” She hissed, trying her best not to laugh. Ghazan refused to take the easy route, and insisted on combing out all the knots before he used his shears. He worked quickly, cutting her long hair short around the ears. He tried to tie the remaining hair into a top knot but Ming-Hua bolted from her seat, and stuck her tongue out at him as she vanished down the tunnel to her room.

“You think she’d show a little gratitude by now.” Ghazan chuckled as Zaheer took his place in the seat. Korra paused to watch, enthralled by the artistry of it all. Ghazan clearly had experience as a barber, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him once he got into the rhythm of it.

Zaheer was a much easier client than Ming-Hua. He closed his eyes and waited patiently as Ghazan heated up a new bucket of soapy water. He worked the foam into Zaheer’s scalp, and carefully ran a curved razor from the top of his head all the way to the back of his neck. Locks of light brown hair fell to the floor with each pass, exposing the bald skin underneath.

“Why do you shave your head Mister Zaheer?” Korra asked, dumping another bucket of soapy water onto Naga’s back. Naga shook back and forth, coating Korra in a torrent of water.

“Practicality I suppose. No hair means nothing for an enemy to grab onto. Air-benders used to shave their heads so they could detect the slightest changes in the air around them.”

“Are you an air-bender Mister Zaheer?” 

His face twitched for a moment, but his calm mask didn’t fall away. “You don’t have to be an air-bender to appreciate their teachings. Until they were wiped out, their civilization was a model of peace and balance. I hope when you are old enough, you can help me bring that balance to all the nations of the world.”

Barely paying attention, Korra chewed absentmindedly on a strand of her own hair. “Yeah that sounds nice.” She rubbed under Naga’s chin, and the polar bear dog let out a happy bark.

Ghazan took a hot towel and rubbed Zaheer’s head clean, his scalp now fully shaved. Zaheer stood up, and ran a hand over Ghazan’s handiwork. “Flawless as always old friend.” Ghazan gave a mocking bow as Zaheer started to leave, only for both of them to freeze as someone else entered the room.

P’li stood at the tunnel entrance, clad in a dark black robe with her hair tied up in a long twisted ponytail of braids. Her eyes scanned the room, drifting over the two men before landing on Korra.

“I hope I’m not too late for haircut day. If there is an open seat I was hoping I could be next.” Her voice was devoid of emotion.

Zaheer stood deathly still, his voice betraying a hint of sadness. “You are always welcome here. Don’t let me spoil your fun.” Without turning around, he gave a small wave and vanished into what had once been their shared bedroom.

Ghazan cleared his throat and gestured for P’li to sit. With one hand, she began to untie her long series of braids, letting her hair tumble out into one great mass. Ghazan ran his comb through, pulling out bits of grass and dried leaves. 

“Uh… do you want the usual? I mean with the sides shaved and everything?” Ghazan hadn’t had a lot of luck sounding confident today. 

“I’d like that. Leave enough for a short braid if that isn’t too much of a hassle.” The edge in P’li’s voice was starting to fade, much to Korra’s delight. She watched closely as Ghazan massaged the soap into her scalp, and carefully shaved her sideburns with the back end of his razor. Once he was done snipping away sections of her hair, he squeezed out a sponge full of water to wash away the soap. His fingers moved with practiced precision one over the other, forming careful looping braids. 

When he was done, P’li let out a contented sigh, shaking her head side to side, sending droplets of water flying far enough that Korra could feel one hit her nose.

“You look so pretty Miss P’li! It’s perfect!” Korra shouted with glee, tossing aside her brush so she could leap into a big hug. P’li caught the soapy child in mid-air, setting her down gingerly on the floor. It was a little too late, since a large wet stain in the shape of Korra was already imprinted on the side of P’li’s pant leg.

“My turn! My turn!” Korra almost knocked over the chair as she jumped into it. P’li gave a shrug, and picked up the abandoned brush off the floor. She walked over to Naga and gave the dog a once over to catch any spots the little girl might have missed.

“What style do you want to try this time kiddo?” Ghazan pulled an old faded magazine out of his pocket, handing it over to Korra. The fashion magazine was easily more than ten years old, but it was still fun for Korra to thumb through the pages looking for inspiration. The ladies in the photos all looked so glamorous, but Korra had already made her decision.

“Can you cut my hair the way you did for Miss P’li?” From across the room P’li stiffened, clenching the brush tightly in her hand. Ghazan shot her a confused look, as if asking for permission.

After a moment, P’li responded. “Sure you can. But I don’t think your hair is long enough for braids like mine.”

“That’s ok! I just want to look like you as much as I can.” Korra said, blissfully kicking her legs up and down as she waited for Ghazan to begin.

With a shrug, Ghazan reached back into the bucket and worked up a lather. He chopped her messy bramble of hair away, and shaved evenly on either side just above the ears. When he was finished, he took out a small pocket mirror and handed it to Korra. “Is this what you had in mind kiddo?”

The girl looking back at her had a soft buzz on either side, with a short mohawk sticking up on top. Ghazan had left enough length in the back that even without a braid she resembled P’li as closely as he could manage.

“I look so cool! I love it!” She leaned over and gave Ghazan’s arm a tight hug. P’li couldn’t help but smile as her mini doppelgänger ran about the chamber with glee.

Ghazan wrung the sponge out into the bucket, but he didn’t let go, his hands still clenched tight as he spoke. “I uh… spoke to Unalaq today. You know, about that _thing_ we talked about.”

P’li visibly tense, and she shot a careful look over her shoulder. She put a finger to her lips, then turned to face Korra. “How would you and Naga like to dry off outside? The four of us could go for a walk around the island together."

“Ok! Race you there!” Korra whistled and a sopping wet Naga followed close behind. Ghazan and P’li stayed back aways as the two of them sprinted about the surface of the island.

Korra ran her fingers over the prickly fuzz on her head, enjoying how light it felt and how the sea breeze tickled her exposed ears. Naga let out joyous barks as she rolled around in the dirt, ruining the bath Korra worked so hard to give her.

Curious, Korra tried to eavesdrop on the adults as she ran around the island.

Ghazan spoke in a hushed tone, but Korra could easily make out what he was saying. “Zaheer will leave the island at the end of the month. He plans to check in with our cell in the Western Earth Kingdom to trade off new intel. I think that’s as good a time as any.”

“I’ll keep Ming-Hua busy, since I don’t think I can keep a low profile without covering up my tattoo. You think you can keep her in line?”

Ghazan nodded, “You can count on me. I’ll wear long sleeves, cut my own hair and make sure we wear matching outfits. I won’t draw any attention.”

Unable to stay out of the discussion, Korra sprinted up to them, “What are you talking about? Are you two planning a secret mission?”

P’li smiled, running a hand through Korra’s new haircut. “A very secret mission. In fact, this mission needs the Avatar to work.”

Stars sparkled in Korra’s eyes as she let out a bewilder gasp. “My first mission? What is it? What is it?” She jumped up and down with joy.

Ghazan knelt down and gestured for Korra to come closer. When she leaned in, he whispered to her. “This is a super secret mission that nobody can know about. The only ones who can know are you, me, P’li and Naga. Can I count on you to keep quiet kiddo?”

Korra snapped to attention, giving Ghazan a stiff salute. “You can count on me Mister Ghazan! Super secret is it! So what is my mission!”

P’li knelt down with them, and she spoke in a playful soft tone. “Well if all goes according to plan, we are going to take you off this island."


	8. The First Outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and her friends arrive at their destination.
> 
> In her other life, one act of defiance changes everything.

**Chapter 8: The First Outing.**

****

With a great resounding crash, the airship more or less came to a landing. The docks on Kemuri Island were not exactly up to code for modern airships, so the crew ended up playing this landing by ear.

Due to the impact, many of the tables and chairs were now on their sides, and the entire floor slanted at a noticeable angle. A large spider web of cracks had appeared on the observation deck windows and one pane had dislodged entirely, falling out and down into the ocean far below.

Normally a calm woman, Asami surveyed the damage with an expression of pure horror. “I just have to keep telling myself… this whole ship is insured, this whole ship is insured…” She muttered to herself, tiptoeing past the carpet full of broken dishes.

Once the four of them had fully disembarked, they could get a better perspective on the cause of this mess. The dock was dented and horribly misaligned, with many sections completely rusted away like holes in a moth eaten cloth. While it looked stable from the air, this dock was barely fit to land a flying lemur safely. It was a miracle they didn't explode the moment they touched down.

The dockmaster was a short old man with a scraggly white beard and a shiny bald head. Asami gingerly handed him payment to dock the airship, and the dockmaster took it without a word.

Korra looked out over Kemuri Island, and the long dirt road leading into the town proper. The docks were positioned high enough that she could see for miles across the wide flat island. The grass was a rich gold in all directions, with yellow shrubbery and sandy brown rocks dotting the area. Compared to Republic City, the town was almost cozy, but it was by no means small. From what little reading Korra had done on Kemuri, it was home to about a thousand people, and it’s main export was dried seaweed, fish, and hand blown glass.

On the horizon, Korra could just make out the start of the vast sandy beaches that Kemuri was known for. A thin white line stretched from one end of the island to the other, making a nice end to the golden gradient that started high up in the red rocky cliffs where Korra now stood.

Without waiting for permission, Kai and Jinora took off in their wing-suits, zooming off to go do a little recon. Asami let out a long sigh and took Korra’s arm. “I guess they expect us to walk the whole way there?”

With a chuckle, Korra added, “That just means you and I get a nice peaceful stroll together.”

Asami spoke with the crew, asking them to do whatever repairs they could manage until they got back. She was trying her best to sound stern and apologetic at the same time. 

The walk proved to be a pleasant one, if a little long. The sun was already setting by the time the two of them arrived at city hall.

Kemuri was not a typical Fire Nation town. The homes were mostly made with thatch and the usual pale brickwork was replaced with dull red clay. The streets had a circular design that hid a lot of buildings from view, and more than once they had to step aside to let a flock of Koala sheep thunder by. Compared to everywhere else Korra had traveled, this town was planted firmly in the past, not a single lamppost or Sato-mobile in sight.

“It’s getting late, I think we should meet up with Kai and Jinora before it gets too dark.” Korra said, resting for a moment near a large stone fountain.

“There is an inn next to the town hall, I’ll get us a room, you go round up our air-benders before they get in any trouble.” Asami gave Korra a quick kiss before they both set off on their missions.

Using her glider, Korra found the kids in almost no time at all. Far off in the fields two conspicuous red triangles swooped up and down in lazy circles. Korra landed atop a large rock that jutted out from the ground, and called out to them. “Asami wants you two home before dark so wrap it up!”

They landed in front of her, both of their hair now more than a little windswept thanks to their impromptu excursion.

“We circled the whole island, that beach is huge! It goes on for miles! It’s like a desert!” Kai said, excitedly pointing to the sand not too far off in the distance.

“We weren’t just goofing off! We did a full sweep and compared it to our old maps.” Jinora reached into her belt pocket and pulled out a faded piece of paper. “The records back in Republic City might be a little outdated, but besides a few new buildings it’s mostly accurate.”

Korra looked over the map, seeing that the island was a large crescent shape, with a shallow bay cutting into one side to produce the massive beach. While most homes were situated near the cliffs, some smaller structures were built on the far side of the island, the Haberdashery marked with a small red X.

“Good job you too, just be sure to tell us next time before you take off. No one gets lost on this trip or Tenzin will kill me. Got it?” Korra ruffled Kai’s short hair affectionately, but Jinora saw her hair ruffle coming and dodged just in time.

Together, they flew back into town and landed outside the inn. It was almost dark, but a few people were still about on the streets. The people of Kemuri wore tan robes with dark black cloaks slung over their shoulders. Even years after Harmonic Convergence, the sight of air-benders was an unusual one, and the villagers watched their landing with judgemental eyes.

The inn was one of the larger buildings in town, and even then it was still a little cramped. The inn only had three rooms, a foyer that doubled as a dining room, the owners office and a single rentable room. The room was small, with a double bed and no bathroom, with an outhouse behind the inn. Laying down their bags, the team tried to make sense of their sleeping situation.

“If it’s too cramped we could always go back to the airship, that is if it hasn’t fallen into the sea already.” Asami joked, sitting in the room's only chair.

Eventually it was decided that Asami and Jinora would get the bed while Kai slept in one of their camping bags and Korra would sleep on the floor. 

“It only makes sense that the two toughest members of our team get the floor. That way our delicate girlfriends get to stay in the nice comfy bed.” Korra said while striking an overly serious pose. 

Jinora frowned, unamused with Korra calling her ‘delicate.’ Asami and Kai however were doubled over with laughter, Kai flexed his arms while Asami pretended to faint onto the bed. 

The night in Kemuri sounded far different than the nights in Republic City, even while sleeping on the airship there was the gentle hum of machinery. Out here, there was nothing but the distant crashing waves, the melodies of crickets and the soft howling of ocean winds. The faint sounds mixed together into a gentle blanket of white noise.

“Is anyone still awake?” Korra whispered.

“Yeah.” Three voices responded in unison.

“This is how the nights sound for the other Korra. Her cave is dug into the side of an island cliff. It’s muffled but she goes to sleep listening to this exact same sound.”

“I don’t think I can go to sleep unless I hear horns honking and people shouting from the street.” Asami whispered.

“Sometimes the mountains near the air temple sound this peaceful.” Kai whispered, shuffling around in his sleeping bag. “I wake up sometimes late at night, and fly to the tallest spot in the temple. The whole world goes still and you can hear your own heartbeat. It’s nothing like the cities I grew up in.”

“I’ve never slept without someone in the same room as me.” Jinora said, after a long break of silence. “First it was mom and dad, then Ikki, Meelo, Rohan… Even when I got my own room there were Air Acolytes down the hall and my siblings one room over. I could hear them snoring through the walls. Mostly Meelo snoring now that I think about it.”

The four of them laid there in the dark, unable to fall asleep in this deafening silence.

“I think I want to try crossing over tonight. I want to see what P’li and Ghazan were planning before we start our investigation tomorrow. Would you like to join me Jinora?”

Jinora shuffled in the bed, turning to face Korra. “Last time I crossed over, I ended up sharing a body with a one year old version of me. I mostly just sat in bed and watched mom spoon feed me applesauce. There are worse ways to stave off insomnia.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Passing through the gate took no effort on Korra’s part anymore. All she had to do was close her eyes with the necklace nearby, and when she opened them, she was back with the Red Lotus.

Ghazan was kneeling down, looking Korra in the eye. He was tidying up her new outfit, and giving her hair a quick trim. Korra still had the mohawk with her sides shaved, so it seemed like very little time had passed since her last vision.

“Now what is your name little girl?” the lava-bender asked, his arms now crossed in front of his chest.

“My name is Ru and I am an earth-bender just like my dad!” Korra proudly proclaimed.

Ghazan gave a slight chuckle and held out his hand to stop her. “No, no, no. You only answer what they ask you, If you give too much information right at the start they might suspect you memorized your answers. Now try again, a bit more natural this time.”

“Ok! My name is Ru and I love my pet Naga! She’s a polar bear dog and she is one of a kind!” 

Once again Ghazan signaled for her to stop. “You can’t mention Naga. Like you said she is one of a kind, and they could recognize-”

Before he could finish, P’li strode into the bedroom, wearing full armor and her bag packed. She stopped once she saw Korra, giving her a gentle pat on the head. “It’s time. Zaheer just radioed us about his arrival, we have at least two days.”

Without another word, the three of them made their way through the main chamber to the exit pulley at the end of the exit tunnel. P’li stopped and whispered something to Ghazan before kneeling down to face Korra.

“You need to be a big girl and take this seriously ok dear? If we pull this off you might never have to come back to this awful cave, you want that don’t you?” Her voice was comforting, but full of fear.

Korra nodded. “You can count on me Miss P’li! My name is Ru and I just moved here!”

The corners of P’lis mouth twitched, almost forming a genuine smile, but she resisted. “Go now, I’ll see you two later tonight.” P’li gave Korra a kiss on the forehead, and she unlatched the pulley. As Korra and Ghazan descended down the side of the cliff, P’li vanished from sight.

It was very early in the morning, so early that the sun wouldn’t rise for at least another hour. Ghazan pulled the small canoe down to the shore and helped Korra climb into it. “We can take Naga next time right?” She asked.

Ghazan hesitated, and answered in a low voice. “Of course we can. We just have to make sure it’s all clear for you before we can bring Naga.” With that, he dipped an oar into the water and began paddling. Zaheer took their motorboat, so they would have to reach the mainland another way.

The sun was scorching down on them by the time they saw land. Thick strands of sweat were dripping down Ghazan’s face as the bottom of the canoe hit the soft sand of the beach. With Korra’s help, they dragged it onto dry land, and bent two small wedges to keep it from rolling over.

They had landed on a thin strip of beach, near a thick dark forest. Ghazan sat on a log and drank deeply from a wineskin while Korra ran in circles in the sand. 

“Mainland! The Mainland! We are on the Mainland!” Korra sang over and over, splashing her boots in the surf.

“Remember, no talk about the island or the mainland or anything like that. Ru and her dad come from a big city in the Earth Kingdom. We are here looking for a new home away from the hustle and bustle alright?”

Korra gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. “Hustle and bustle. I got it.”

Once he was ready, Ghazan took Korra’s hand and led her through the woods. It took some time but eventually they found a worn dirt road, cutting it’s way through the dense maze of trees.

“Only talk if they ask you questions ok?” Ghazan said, tugging at his long sleeves, double checking that his tattoos were hidden. Korra nodded and skipped alongside him.

Soon they arrived at a small village, so small that there were less than fourty small buildings total. A low brick wall encircled the village, and a single armored guard stood watch by the entrance.

Ghazan gave the guard a nod and handed him a piece of worn paper.

“State your business please.” the young guard asked, a bored tone in his voice.

“Uh… Travelers. Just passing through on our way to the capital. We’ve been walking for quite some time, so we might stay a few nights just to catch our breath.” Ghazan knelt down and wiped away a bit of dirt from Korra’s face, looking back up at the guard with a slightly forced smile.

The guard folded the piece of paper back up and returned it to Ghazan. “Enjoy your stay.” Without much fanfare, he unlatched the gate and let the two of them pass. Ghazan put his hand on Korra's back, a gentle reminder to hurry up as they left the guard's sight.

The moment they crossed the threshold, it was like they were in another world. Korra wasn’t prepared for all the curious eyes. For so long it had just been her four caretakers, and the dark cramped walls of the caves. It might have been a small town but compared to life in cave it was nothing short of pandemonium. The locals were talking, laughing, shouting and it was almost more than Korra could process.

Out here there was fresh air, not saturated with sea-salt, but crisp and garnished with exciting new aromas. As they walked down the main street, dozens of cozy stalls sold fish, jerky, fruit leather and spices. There was a bakery and the buttery smooth scent of fresh bread made Korra stop dead in her tracks. Ghazan noticed, and reaching into his pocket, pulled out a few crumpled Yuans. He bought a warm wheat bun just for her. The crust was flaky, and chewy bits of grain baked into the fluffy interior gave it a wonderful smokey flavor.

As they walked further into town, the noise had slowly changed from overwhelming to almost musical. Two teenagers ran past carrying a large animal on their backs, and three men stood chatting while they hand washed large sheets of red fabric in a metal water trough. A family of three passed by going the other way, the mother and the father on either side of the child, and from the nearby park there was the sound of…

“Look! Look! Those kids are my age!” Korra shouted, pointing at the group of children setting up a net for a game of Kuai ball.

Ghazan’s expression softened, and he knelt down so when he spoke, no one else could hear. “That’s why we came here isn’t it? Those kids look like they’re one short of a full team. Why don’t you go play?”

A wave of excitement washed over Korra, but just as quickly, she found herself shrinking back. “But… How will I know if they want to be my friends?” It had been a long time since she had actually _played_ anything with anyone. In the back of her mind a sudden twinge of fear took root and wouldn’t come loose.

Ghazan gave her a soft smile, and said, “Now who wouldn’t want to be friends with you? All you have to do is go easy on them. We both know you could win even with both hands tied behind your back.”

With a deep breath, Korra puffed out her chest and took a confident stance. “I got this!” She took big confident strides towards the Kuai net, and before she knew it she was breaking into a sprint.

Ghazan leaned up against an old tree, thankful for the shade. He watched as Korra shook each of the kids hands one by one, and without missing a beat they tossed her the ball and the game was underway. All of this risk just for a single playdate, if Ghazan had shown this scene to himself two years ago, he would have never believed it.

A tall woman in a red dress walked up to him, pointing at Korra, who was currently scoring her fifth point against the other team. “She’s really giving those boys a runaround. Is that your daughter?”

For a moment, Ghazan didn’t respond, he was debating how much effort he would have to put into this lie for it to sound convincing. As it turned out, it didn’t take any effort at all.

“Yeah she is.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“Did you see me? Did you see me? I was slaughtering um! But I went easy after the first two games, and let them win so they wouldn’t get too mad at me! I didn’t even have to use my bending I was all over that game like pow pow pow!”

From atop Ghazan’s shoulders, Korra was recounting her glorious victory over the local kids. Her team won three to two, and she had already been invited back tomorrow for a rematch. The sun was on its way down, and they only had a short window to row back before it was too dark. Ghazan carried her aloft down the forest train, the beach almost within view.

“Can’t we stay for the festival Mister Ghazan? Shyu and Ji said we could go watch the fireworks with their mom after the potluck! I’ve never seen fireworks! I bet they would be so cool! Just like Miss P’li ya know like BANG! Only with more colors!”

Ghazan readjusted his grip on Korra’s legs and let out a laugh. “Slow down kid you’re talking a mile a minute! We agreed only one day this time.”

All of Korra’s energy drained out of her in one long exhausted sigh. “Only one day? Can I use a swear Mister Ghazan?”

In a cartoonish gesture, Ghazan looked side to side before answering. “Well I guess since nobody is around to hear us, you may swear once before we get back in the boat.”

Korra giggled wickedly, rubbing her hands together and she mentally reviewed all she had learned. “Not being able to see the festival is a bunch of crap!” She practically shouted the word, unable to contain her joy now that she could finally use it.

“Woah hey watch your tone missy! Naga would be real sad to hear you talk like that!”

Korra let out a fart noise by pressing her hand to her mouth. “Naga swears all the time but you just can’t hear her! She swears in polar-bear-dog! And it sounds like this!” Korra let out a series of raspberries and high pitched barks. Ghazan laughed so hard he almost dropped her, but the two managed to regain their balance at the last minute. Ghazan turned off the road, cutting through the trees down to the beach,

“Ok that’s enough! I know it was only for one day, but if we can convince Zaheer maybe we could move-” 

As soon as they broke through the tree-line, Ghazan came to an abrupt halt, his words now caught in his throat. Bobbing gently in the water, was Zaheer's speed boat. Ming-Hua and P’li were visible on board, and Zaheer was standing with his feet in the sand right next to the canoe.

As quickly as he could, Ghazan set Korra down, roughly dropping her in the sand next to him. He pushed her down like a bug that had crawled up his pant leg, and his expression was taut with fear.

Zaheer said nothing, only giving a short gesture telling them to climb aboard. He didn’t look like he was willing to accept anything other than immediate obedience.

With a great deal of shame, Ghazan tied the canoe to one side of the speed boat, and boosted Korra up over the side and onto the deck.

Zaheer turned on the engine, and steered the boat back to the base. For a good long while, the only noise onboard was the crash of the waves and the hum of the motor. Zaheer drove with his back to the rest of the Red Lotus, P’li and Ghazan sat in the back, while Ming-Hua sat next to Korra, not making eye contact.

Once they were far enough away from shore, Zaheer cut the motor. The small brass key jangled in his hand, as he slowly turned around to face the others.

“Let’s start with something simple. Explain to me what possible benefit was worth the risk of taking Korra off the island?” His voice was uncomfortably even, the sheer lack of emotion far more disturbing than any amount of anger. Korra clenched her fists and tried her best to hold back tears.

Embarrassment reaching all the way to his ears, Ghazan replied meekly, “I thought it would be good for her.”

“Good for her? You want to know what’s good for her? Not being seen. You put all of us at risk for momentary distraction? Why do you think we have those books? Those paints? Her training? She has everything she needs on the island.

P’li’s eyes flicked with anger, and Ghazan hung his head as he took in each word. Ghazan rubbed his chin and responded, “Korra needs to socialize. We can’t give her a normal childhood if we keep her locked up on with no one to-”

The calm mask cracked, and a whisper of vitriol slipped out when Zaheer spoke. “Normal? You think anything about the Avatar could be considered normal? She ISN’T a normal child and we are not her babysitters! Our only priorities are keeping her safe and educating her as best we can. When she’s older we can think about her social skills but not right now.”

A bead of sweat ran down P’li’s forehead and landed on her pant leg. 

Ghazan gritted his teeth and managed to look Zaheer in the eyes. “If we act like she’s a statue that’s how she’s going to see herself! She deserves to know kids her own age and see more of the world than just the inside of that cave!” His voice shook but he didn’t back down.

Zaheer recentered himself and spoke with unnerving confidence. “Korra is an asset to our cause, and if we treat her like a pet how will we ever expect her to respect us? We need to stay focused and not let our emotions distract us from what she really is-”

P’li rocketed to her feet, with enough force to rock the boat. “WHAT IS SHE TO US ZAHEER? JUST COME OUT AND SAY IT. NO MORE DOUBLE TALK, JUST BE HONEST WITH WHAT YOU WANT!”

Her voice was like thunder, splitting through the tension and leaving everyone stunned. Korra burst into full body sobbing when she heard it, a bolt of pain shooting through P’li’s face when she realized what she had done.

Zaheer was the first to recover. Looking P’li dead on, he simply said. “Once again you’re drawing lines on an empty map. You and her are nothing alike, no matter how much your feelings might say different.”

The anger grew until a pulsing vein was visible above P’li’s eyebrow. “She isn’t your weapon Zaheer. She’s a human girl and she deserves to be treated like one.” Instead of her usual booming anger, these words were ice cold.

The crack in the mask grew bigger, and a deep sadness crossed Zaheer’s face. “So am I to assume you no longer see a difference between me and the warlord I freed you from? Is that what I am to you?”

P’li couldn’t bring herself to answer. All she could do was slump back into her seat, the anger draining from her body, replaced only with a deep emptiness. Korra had never seen her look so small.

Zaheer let out a small cough, taking control of the situation once more. “It seems all that’s left to do is agree on what comes next. Ghazan, P’li… you two have made it clear that you want to take Korra off the island. To do what? To play house and hope no one recognizes us? I say we stay on the island where it’s safe, at least until Korra is older.” No one said anything, and so Zaheer continued. “In that case, we put it to a vote. Those in favor of staying?”

Zaheer raised his hand, followed by one of Ming-Hua’s tentacles. She hadn’t said a word, and she was trying her best not to make eye contact with Ghazan.

“All those in favor of leaving?” Zaheer said, his voice noticeably colder.

P’li’s hand shot up, her body language growing strong again. For a moment she was alone, until Ghazan slowly raised his hand in solidarity.

Zaheer spoke with a huff in his voice, “A tie. We will contact Unalaq when we get back, to act as the tie breaking vote. We need the entire Red Lotus to-”

“What about Korra’s vote?”

The whole boat went silent. Ming-Hua’s words hung in the air, and Zaheers mask finally crumbled into dust, exposing a face of genuine bewilderment.

“S-She doesn’t get a vote? That’s not how this works?” He said, struggling to find the words.

Slowly, Ming-Hua turned to look at him, her face giving away nothing. “If we are going to treat her like a member of the Red Lotus, then she gets a say in Red Lotus matters.”

Zaheer was so stunned he couldn’t help but laugh at what Ming-Hua was saying. “You can’t be serious... She’s just a child?”

“Make up your mind Zaheer. Is she our weapon? Or just a child? She can’t be both.” P’li snapped.

Placing his fingers on his forehead, Zaheer let out a long sigh. “Fine, I guess it’s what’s fair…”

Ming-Hua didn’t break her stoic gaze, speaking to Korra in a passive, empty tone. “Korra, I think it would be far safer to stay on the island. With my arms, and P’li’s tattoos we wouldn’t be able to pass as everyday citizens. If you want to live off the island, you have to deal with the danger that brings. Think this through before you answer ok?”

Korra stopped crying, if only because of her confusion. _Leave the Island_? It was a thought she had entertained many times, but never as anything more serious than a passing daydream.

Korra looked at P’li, hoping she would receive some sort of answer. The combustion-bender only gave her a long sad look in return. Korra took a deep breath and said, “I don’t want to live on the island anymore Mister Zaheer… I think I feel lonely when I’m there, and like I can only walk so far before I reach the edge of the world.”

The trap had been sprung, Zaheer leaning in with cold malice dripping off his words. “You know what this means don’t you? P’li and Ming-Hua can’t join us on the mainland, they would draw too much attention.”

Korra let out a pained sob, and nodded.

“And Naga. There is only one person in the world with a polar-bear-dog, so she can’t come with us. They would know it was you.”

Hearing those words felt like a knife through Korra’s heart. She thought about Naga, eagerly waiting for Korra to come back home. It was almost enough to change her mind… almost.

Korra broke down crying, but managed to make one last nod.

Zaheer looked up at P’li, his words resonating with a terrible finality. “I told you the animal would be your responsibility. If you really believe she’d be better off with other people, then do what you promised me. Kill the animal and Korra is free to leave.”

She couldn’t take it anymore, Korra collapsed in agony. She curled up on the rough floor of the boat and rocked violently with each new sob. It felt like one of her limbs was being torn off and thrown into the sea.

P’li gave her response, unable to look at Korra a moment longer.

“I won't hesitate." 


	9. A Sword Begins to Rust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra takes some time to recover, and finds herself witness to an unexpected memory.

**Chapter 9: A Sword Begins to Rust**

It wasn’t until Asami asked for a third time that Korra realized she was even awake.

Asami reached across the table and tapped on Korra’s shoulder to get her attention. “Korra, is that really all you're going to eat?” 

Korra looked down at her plate only to see a single piece of flatbread. When did she cross back over? She didn’t even remember waking up but it was already morning and they were all sitting together at a small table. Korra had even dressed herself without remembering.

“Uh… what else is there to eat?” She asked, her voice still groggy.

Kai gave her a worried look and slid some of his cut fruit onto her plate. “What exactly happened to you last night? We were waiting for you to come back but you just fell back asleep.”

Korra placed a hand to her forehead, a sharp pain throbbing beneath the surface, almost as if she had just spent several hours crying. Her mouth was dry and her body ached, and she doubted that feeling was from sleeping on the floor. She twisted her shoulders from side to side until she heard her back pop, which seemed to help a bit. Maybe it was just from sleeping on the floor after all.

Jinora took a sip of tea and added, “My vision was uneventful. Dad carried me around the island and spoke entirely in baby talk. I think I got bored enough to fall asleep in both worlds. What about you Korra?”

It took a surprising amount of effort for Korra to formulate all her thoughts. There was a terrible sensation lingering on her skin, like something unseen was weighing her down. “P’li and Ghazan defied Zaheer. They took me off the island and demanded that I got a chance at a normal childhood. They found a small village where I wouldn't be recognized, gave me a new name…” A lump formed in her throat and she couldn’t stop the tears. “But only after they killed Naga…”

The dinner table was silent. Asami started to reach for Korra’s hand, but stopped halfway. Slowly, her hand returned to her side and she stared ahead, unsure.

“That must have been so painful to experience. If you need to take some time we can afford a day or two before… well you know.” Despite her even tone, Asami was clearly trying to hold back a fresh wave of worry. Unlike Jinora, she was totally in the dark about the other world, and unable to directly assist with the side effects. For Asami, problems existed to be solved, not to linger without a solution. It was an opinion she and Korra shared, and as far as she knew, crossing over was the only way to find answers. It wasn’t pleasant for the cause to simultaneously be the cure.

Korra hung her head, and with considerable effort ate some of her breakfast. “I think I just need to rest for a few hours, maybe take a short nap. We can visit the haberdashery tomorrow if I’m not feeling better by this afternoon. How does that sound?” She was met with three cautious nods.

When they were full, and the innkeeper was paid for the food, Korra returned to their tiny room. This time around the bed was all hers, and she collapsed into the soft sheets with great relish. It wasn’t a particularly nice bed, but compared to the floor it was more than suitable for a nap.

“I was going to shop around the market today with Kai, just until noon if that’s alright!” Jinora asked, already eyeing the door as Korra got settled. 

With a fake pout, Korra gestured to her girlfriend. “Only if Asami goes with you. She’s the most responsible and well rested person in our group.”

A look of worry flickered across Asami’s face, and in a low voice she asked, “Are you sure? It might be better if I stay here with you.”

“I won’t be much fun to talk to while fast asleep. Keep an eye on those two and bring me back some smoked fish if you find any. It’ll be ok.” Korra said, trying her best to sound supportive. Asami deserved to unwind, considering all the stress crossing over put on her shoulders.

With a goodbye kiss, Asami escorted the two air-benders out of the room and locked the door behind her. Korra didn’t feel sleepy, she felt tired. There was a noticeable difference, and she spent a long time staring at the ceiling with little progress made in her nap.

She didn’t like the silence, since there was nothing to distract her from the violent swirl of emotions buzzing around in her skull. Anger was easy, but the way she felt about the Red Lotus was starting to become a little too complex to just be anger. There was something else there that made Korra uncomfortable to contemplate. 

The other Korra was still a child, she couldn’t understand who the Red Lotus really were, and how many people would suffer because of their actions. She couldn’t bring herself to think any better of them just because they showed her a sliver of kindness in between constant cruelty…

“I know it’s tough for you, being stuck with us like this. All we seem to do is hurt you.” P’li said, a fragile pain in her voice.

Korra bolted out of bed, her fists raised as fire crackled between her fingers. Sitting in the chair across from the bed, was P’li. Her eyes didn’t meet Korra, staring at her hands hung between her knees. Her posture was weak, and she twisted her fingers in anxious circles.

“You hurt me Miss Puhlee?” The other Korra asked, sitting on the carpet between them, playing with a crudely carved wooden toy. She had appeared between the blink of an eye, as if she had always been there, like Korra simply hadn't looked hard enough.

Korra slumped back into the bed horrified, this couldn’t be happening, this had to be some sort of dream. The visions of the other side somehow leaking into her sleeping subconscious. Based on their clothes and hair, this vision had to be shortly after the brainwashing.

“Yes, we hurt you Korra. I wish I could blame it all on Zaheer, but I know the part I played in all of this.” P’li sounded close to tears, her massive body trembling from regret. “This world is full of people who cause nothing but pain, I was foolish to think I was the exception. A sword might dream about being something different, something that wasn’t born to hurt others, but sometimes a weapon is just a weapon. You can’t change what you are.”

P’li raised a shaky hand to her forehead, placing a single finger against the eye tattooed there. She pressed a fingernail into her skin, hard enough to draw blood. Her breathing got heavier and heavier and she started to weep waves of heavy tears. It was utterly bizarre to see such a terrifying woman so vulnerable. It wasn’t the soft cry of a scared child, it was a deep guttural wail that pierced the quiet room with each pained exhale. 

Suddenly, P'li's sobs came to a stop, as she looked down to see a small hand resting on her knee. The other Korra had crawled across the floor and was leaning her head on P’li’s leg, looking up at her with gentl eyes.

“Do you think you’re a bad person Miss Puhlee?”

The question had an answer, but P’li didn’t give it. She only shuddered, more tears worming their way out and running down her chin.

“Well… Naga seems to like you, and she never lets bad people pet her.”

P’li choked back a sob, her voice utterly unrecognizable from the violent combustion-bender who stole Korra on that cold dark night. “I don’t think she’s met enough bad people to know the difference.”

“No! Trust me, she’s met some awful people! She chased off Maliq and made him pee his pants!” Korra declared, flashing P’li a triumphant smile.

A confused chuckle managed to interrupt some of P’li’s tears. “And who is Maliq? Some criminal mastermind we should know about?”

“He lived near my old house, and he was a big bully! He would throw snowballs at penguins and he never cleaned up after gutting fish!”

P’li broke into tearful laughter, pulling Korra into a warm hug. “Ok I trust you. Maybe Naga knows what she’s talking about. Maliq sounds like an absolute terror.”

Korra leaned in, wrapping her arms tightly around P’li’s neck. “You’re a good person Miss Puhlee. Naga wouldn’t lie.”

From her bed, Korra watched the two embrace, taking a moment to collect their emotions. Slowly, P’li’s body began to relax, and she was finally able to catch her breath. She gently set the other Korra back onto the floor, and she wiped her face on her sleeve.

“Enough tears. or this sword might end up all rusty.” P’li said, getting out of the chair. She continued to speak, but her voice was too muffled to hear anymore. The last thing Korra saw before she woke up was the other Korra running after P’li, taking hold of her hand.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“How was your nap sleepy head?” Asami said, her voice playful. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding onto Korra’s hand. The room was quiet, P’li and the other Korra nowhere to be seen. 

Had it all been a dream? Korra was certain she had been awake when it happened, but maybe she fell asleep without even realizing. Why had the vision come to her without crossing over? A disturbing thought entered her mind, but it made a strange sort of sense the more she processed it. _What if she was absorbing the memories between each jump in time?_

The other Korra was showing her visions spread over many years, and the gaps were slowly filling themselves in, their experiences slowly becoming unified. What would happen going forward? Korra shuddered to imagine what two lifetimes fusing into one would even do to her. She had to find some way to-

“Korra? You’re awake right?” Asami said, giving Korra’s shoulder a gentle nudge. Korra had been staring at nothing, unresponsive for several moments without even realizing. It was around noon, and by the empty chair there were several bags of goodies purchased from the shopping trip.

“Yeah I’m up… I just keep having these… I don’t know what you’d call them. Flickers? These little windows into the life of the other Korra… I saw her again in my dreams. I think it's starting to happen even without crossing over.”

Asami could barely keep the horror from showing on her face. She shot across the bed and wrapped Korra up in a desperate embrace.

“We can stop this, if it’s getting to be too much. We can throw the necklace in the ocean and- I don’t know, we can just run, find some spot and just clear your mind of all this.” She was shaking, close to tears.

Korra placed a hand on Asami’s back, trying to comfort her as best she could. “You know we can’t do that. I feel the other Korra is only showing me these visions because she needs help… I think she needs me to understand what she is going through so I can be there for her. I can’t really put it into words but I think that’s what she is trying to tell me. I can just feel it.”

For a while, neither could say anything. It was clear that Asami didn’t want Korra to go through anymore trauma as long as there was some way to prevent it. But at the end of the day, she couldn’t ask Korra to stop being the Avatar, to stop being the sort of person willing to do anything to help others. 

“You can handle anything Korra, but that doesn’t mean you have to… I don’t know… Experience another person's pain alone. What if the visions get too intense? What if it hurts you again?” Asami’s voice was cracking under the pressure, and she buried her face in Korra’s shoulder to hide her tears.

When the words finally found their way to Korra’s mouth, she wasn’t even sure what she was saying until she heard it. “I’m… always hurting.” 

Asami flinched, and slowly pulled away to get a better look at Korra.

Korra squeezed Asami’s hand before continuing. “I’ve been doing a lot better, but I’m still hurting. From Kuvira, my time apart from you, from the poison, from Unalaq, even from Amon. Some days are better than others but… it doesn’t mean I don’t get scared sometimes. Toph told me to stop carrying around my enemies, and I think I have made a lot of progress moving on. It hurts a lot less but the pain isn’t totally gone.”

Korra took a deep breath, watching Asami’s fearful expression melt away to something far softer. She was trying her best to listen, and Korra’s words were getting through to her.

Letting out another long breath, Korra said. “I might not be able to see it now, but there is a point to all these visions. The other Korra wouldn’t reach out just to make me suffer. It is going to be painful in the moment, but I know I have to do this. I have to see what’s hurting her so I can help her. If it gets so bad that I can’t take it anymore, you have my word that we will stop. But I believe I can do this, as tough as it might be, I think I can save her. It’s going to be tough to watch me go through this, but I know we can handle it, especially if we do it together.”

With that, Asami fell back into Korra’s arms, and Korra wasn’t about to let go. Korra could feel Asami’s measured breathing as she laid on top of her, and the last traces of tears soaked into the collar of Korra’s shirt.

“Honestly fighting another bad guy would be preferable to this. If they have a face and a crotch I know where to punch and kick. When it’s this spiritual Avatar business I just have to sit on the sidelines and wait.” Asami said, a slight pout in her voice.

Korra couldn’t help but laugh a little. “If we ever find a way to have you cross over with me, I guarantee you some one-on-one time with Zaheer’s face and crotch.”

The tension was finally broken by Asami’s sobbing laugh. “It’s a promise then. When I cross over I will personally beat up the Red Lotus for you.”

“After all the pain I put you through, it’s the least I owe you.”

Asami readjusted herself on the bed so she could look into Korra's eyes. Even with her face red from crying, she was still as radiant as ever. “You don’t owe me anything. Worrying over you is something I plan to do for a very long time.”

Asami leaned into a long slow kiss, and Korra moved one hand up around the back of Asami's neck. After everything she had seen in the other world, all of the pain the other Korra had been through, the familiar smell of Asami’s lotion was all Korra needed to ground herself.

She was everything right with this world, and Korra wanted more. Working her fingers through the thick locks of Asami’s hair, Korra pulled her in even closer, not letting go of the kiss. Asami responded by wrapping her arms around Korra's back, gripping tighter and angling her head further into the kiss. From their contact, a warmth was already starting to grow. Korra wanted to feed the hunger that was calling out to her, cementing her firmly in the present moment. Korra reached out for the first button on Asami’s jacket and-

The sound of two air-benders landing on the roof forced them to violently untangle. Korra re-arranged the sheets while Asami bolted for the chair across the room. As soon as Jinora and Kai climbed in through the open window, Korra and Asami were nothing if not presentable, with a respectful distance between them. Nonchalantly, Asami fixed the wrinkle in her hair where Korra’s hand had just been.

“Korra! It’s good you're up! We just met someone who knew the owner of the haberdashery!” Jinora said, sitting down on the corner of the bed, excited to share her findings.

Kai set down two pouches next to Asami, who was pretending to organize her purchases from earlier that day. Kai held up a piece of paper with some of his scratchy handwriting visible on the surface. “Yeah! It turns out the store that sold those necklaces went bust around fifteen years ago. The owner passed away but her son lives in the village square. We could ask if he has any sales records and maybe we can narrow down the owner that way? It’s a long shot but at least we have a name and address.”

This was good news, but Korra was still in the process of cooling down, and so she gave Kai a polite nod in response. Jinora stood up, ready to go at that very moment. “If you’re feeling up to joining us, I say we go find this guy before it gets dark. If it’s a dead end we could check with the town hall, maybe see if the Red Lotus ever did business here. I think we are pretty close to solving who planted that necklace.”

Jinora was obviously loving her ‘junior detective’ role, and Korra had to admit Jinora was totally in her element. Korra laughed and waved her hand. “Sure just let me get dressed, and maybe grab something to eat first.” Despite the vision she saw, the nap had done its job. With the exception of her empty stomach, Korra was feeling a whole lot better compared to where she was this morning.

Asami’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, and she reached into one of her bags. “This is definitely something I can help with. Turns out they sell a _lot_ of smoked fish here!”


	10. Scattered Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra starts to see the bigger picture of her connection with the Red Lotus when history begins to repeat itself.

**Chapter 10: Scattered Pieces**

The house was so old, it was more mold than it was masonry. It was leaning precariously to one side and had several wooden support beams hastily attached to keep it from completely collapsing. Korra felt like the house had simply always been here, and the rest of the village had merely been built around it.

She knocked once, twice and finally three times before someone answered. It was an older man with a long greying beard and sunken in eyes. He wore the same muted red clothes as everyone else on the island, and he had the gnarled body of someone who was familiar with hard labor.

“Excuse me sir, but my name is Avatar Korra, I had a few questions about your old haberdashery?” Korra did her best to sound polite, and gave the man a quick bow. 

The man blinked a few times before responding, as if he had just woken up from an afternoon nap. “The Avatar eh? Fancy seeing someone like you in a place like this…” He glanced past her to the others lurking in the street. “Are they with you?”

“Yes, those are my friends. We’re investigating some spiritual activity and it led us to some old sales records associated with uh… your haberdashery. Could we discuss some of the details with you?” Korra tried her best to think about Mako and Lin questioned suspects, but she didn’t like how confrontational their wording often sounded. If she wanted information from this man she had to make him feel like he was in trouble. 

The man paused, twisted the end of his beard between his fingers. “Well… I don’t have anything better to do… Why don’t you come on in. I might have some tea left.”

One by one, they entered the old house, and tried their best to find chairs that were still intact. It was a bit of a mess inside, and the dining room table only had one functional chair. Korra found a stool in the kitchen, Asami found a chair buried under a stack of old newspapers, and Jinora found a wooden crate large enough to serve as a seat. Kai had to stand, so he tried his best to look nonchalant while leaning against the wall.

“Nice to meet you Avatar, you can call me Goro.” The man said, emerging from his basement with a large paper bag under his arm.

“We appreciate you taking the time to answer sone of our questions.” Asami said, playing the diplomat. 

Goro set the bag down on the table and walked over to his kitchen, searching for his tea kettle. He placed five cups of varying size and cleanliness down on the table, and used a small puff of fire-bending to reheat the kettle. “I hope you like ginger tea, it’s pretty much all I drink on account of my arthritis.” Goro said, trying his best to fill each cup.

“This will do fine. So did you own the shop before it closed?” Korra said, taking a sip. The tea was surprisingly strong but not undrinkable. 

“My mom owned it actually. You wouldn’t guess it by looking at it, but Kemuri used to have a steady stream of tourists about fifty years ago. This place used to be a lot more modern, but everything kinda slipped away from us once the other islands cornered the market on luxury goods. Kemuir was too out of the way to compete and everything just sorta… faded.”

Everyone was suddenly very interested in the bottom of their cups, unsure of how to proceed after such somber news. Asami eventually spoke up, “That must have been difficult, I’m sorry that your family lost their business for something you had no control over.”

Goro waved his hand, his expression neutral. “Save your sympathy. We adapted. Started fishing, drying seaweed, brought back glass smithing… we ain’t dead yet.” He chugged the last of his tea and pulled a few stacks of paper out of the bag. “So what does the Avatar want with some rinky dink family store on our little nowhere island?”

Asami pulled the red necklace out of her jacket pocket, and held it up for Goro to see. “This was found somewhere it shouldn’t be, and we believed it originated from this island. Do you know who would have bought it? Or anywhere else it could have been made?”

Slowly, Goro reached across the table and took the necklace. He rubbed his thumb against the glass bead and gave it a long sad look. “Yeah I recognize this. We used to sell stuff just like it in the store. Fire nation jewelry was always a big hit with the tourists. But I'm pretty sure we sold stuff flashier than this.”

Jinora leaned forward, “Flashier? What do you mean by that?”

Goro scratched the back of his head before making a sweeping gesture with both hands. “You know, gold necklaces, long dangly earrings, shiny cufflinks, that sorta stuff. This looks like a child’s necklace, not anything high end or super expensive. If you were looking for a gift or souvenir, you’d want real crystal or gold chains. This bead is glass and the fabric is too simple. It’s something that a kid would play with. You know something that a parent wouldn’t be too upset about if it got lost.”

He handed it back to Asami and the room was deathly quiet. This new information didn’t point to anything tangible at the moment, but there were fragments here as of yet unconnected.

“Do you have receipts showing who might have bought this specific necklace? I know that’s a long shot but…” Korra said, hoping there was something more to unearth.

Goro flipped through the paper stacks, looking at grainy photos of inventory and hand scrawled receipts. “I don’t think we kept records _that_ detailed, and if we did I don’t think we-” He suddenly came to a pause, staring at a photo of an old wooden display stand. “Wait a moment… I remember this necklace…”

Goro reached for his teapot and poured another cup, drinking it in two gulps while everyone else did their best to be patient. Finally, he continued his train of thought. “Yeah! We ordered a bunch of small jewelry to sell. We had about four of these necklaces, and never sold any of them… except for one. I only remembered because of two details. I remember cataloging those three when we liquidated the remaining inventory… it felt weird to only have three left. The other reason was because a local bought the necklace, not a tourist. Local’s didn’t normally spend their money with us.”

Korra tapped the rim of her empty tea cup, excitement rising in her voice. “Are they still around here? Could you tell us where we could find them?”

That sad look returned to Goro’s face and he began to chew on his fingernails as he spoke. “Her name was Liang, she lived on the other side of the bay. She died about twenty years ago, and I don’t think she had any family left.” He placed the photos down on the table. In the bottom row of the display case there were three identical necklaces with glass beads in the center.

“She… She might be the person we are looking for after all. Is there anyone in town who might have known her?” Korra said.

“Yeah, I knew her.” Goro said. He bit off a long sliver of fingernail and began to chew it. “She had a tough life. Grew up an orphan, her husband ran off to become a bandit, and she lost her kid without much warning. She was kinda like… a ghost who wasn’t aware that she was already dead.”

Nervously, Jinora asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“I mean she was the sort of person who couldn’t let go of her guilt. She blamed herself for everything, and acted like she was just waiting for death to come and find her. She had this look in her eye like the world had ended for her a long time ago. I think losing her kid was the last straw, and she just sorta… gave up.” Goro tapped his knuckles on the table, like he was signaling to himself to move on. “Some people just can’t hold it together I guess. Not that I can blame her, I don’t think I could have handled what she went through.”

Korra sat there, doing what she could to process what she had just heard. The only lead she could think of was... “Did she have a daughter?”

Goro nodded. “Yeah, a little beanpole of a girl. She was about four or five when she died. Swept out to sea if I remember correctly.” 

And there it was, Asami, Jinora and Kai all had the same look in their eyes. They had figured out the connection. Asami was the one to ask the question. “What was her name?”

“Never got a chance to meet her myself, but I think her name was P’li.”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“It’s the dad, he kidnapped his own daughter.” Korra said, unable to contain her rage, she slammed her fist down and cracked the wooden dresser in half, causing everyone else to jump. Normally, Korra could suppress her anger, but knowing what happened to P’li was getting under her skin. The fact that she was feeling such intense emotions about a woman who had once tried to kill her was not something that Korra wanted to entertain.

It was evening now, and they were back at the inn, discussing what they had uncovered. After thanking Goro, they confirmed what they learned using the records at city hall. There was a family of three living on Kemuri before Korra was even born. Liang, her husband Zhu, and their daughter P’li. According to official records, the island was attacked four times in one year by a band of pirates, with Zhu leaving to join them on the third attack. According to a faded death certificate, P’li drowned shortly after the fourth attack. Since her body was never found, and her father was working with the pirates by that point, it wasn’t hard to put together what had happened.

“Korra I know you’re upset but you need to breathe. This all happened a long time ago and there isn’t much we can do to change it now.” Asami said, checking Korra’s knuckles for splinters.

Still fuming, Korra finished her train of thought with growing intensity. “It’s the only way any of this makes sense. P’li was a combustion-bender; that’s a rare ability. Her father ran off to join some bandit army, then she went missing with no body. He must have come back for his daughter just so he could sell her off to some warlord! That’s what P’li was talking about in my visions! She was raised as a child soldier by some violent bandit asshole!”

There wasn’t much left in the room for her to break, so Korra tried her best to calm down. This amount of anger wasn’t going to lead to anything helpful. 

Jinora leaned forward. “From what we know, P’li was raised as a weapon for an unknown warlord then she was rescued at some point by the Red Lotus and… Well I think we know the rest.” Holding onto the necklace, she nervously rubbed her thumb over the glass bead as if to force out her own growing worry.

“But what can we do with this information?” Kai said, angrily chewing on a small bit of dried fruit. “The P’li from our world is dead, and there isn’t any way to ask the other P’li any direct questions. Where does any of this lead?”

That was the question they all wanted answered. Why show Korra these visions? Why lead her on a meandering chase after corpses long since buried? 

“There could be something spiritual about all of this… unfinished business. P’li might want us to set right what happened to her. Find her father, or the warlord who bought her?” Asami offered.

Korra took a deep breath before responding, “Then why reach out to me? We never spoke, never met in any situation where we weren't trying to kill each other… There have to be others out there she would connect with before she resorted to me. If she wanted me to break some warlord's skull, why bother with the visions of the other life?”

The room was silent, and Korra flopped onto the bed next to Asami. With little else to speculate on, the four of them ate a sparse meal of crackers, cheese and fruit. Apparently they missed the innkeepers window for dinner and had to make do with whatever they could find in the pantry.

Eventually, Korra spoke her mind. “We move onto phase two then. We do our best to track down Zhu and whatever slimeball he sold P’li to. In the meantime, Jinora and I will find out what happens next in the other world. We just have to… I don’t know, keep pushing until we come up against another wall. It isn’t the most satisfying solution but it’s better than nothing.”

The Fire Nation Archipelagoes had a long history when it came to bandits. Pirates stalked the seas of every nation since sailing was invented, and during the Hundred Years War, there was no shortage of deserters willing to take up a blade to make a living. 

The land directly between the Archipelagoes and the shores of the southern Earth Kingdom were notoriously difficult to defend. After the war ended, bandit groups began mixing fire and earth-benders into their numbers. While the United Forces had cut down on the number of active bandit clans, there were still small pockets where bandits ran entire cities masquerading as elected officials. 

There was no easy outlet for Korra’s anger, which still simmered beneath the surface. While everyone else got ready for bed, Korra set off with her glider, looking for somewhere to be alone. Asami gave her a quick hug, and Korra took off out the window.

Flying at night was always a bit of a struggle. The warm thermals of the day were nowhere to be found, and Korra would often have to bend artificial updrafts just to get proper lift. 

Unable to gain enough altitude, Korra landed on an empty stretch of beach. The lights of the village were far, and the stars were hidden behind a thick overcast tonight. Besides the occasional glimmer of moon reflected off the waves, the whole world was pitch black.

Korra began to stretch, moving her wrists in small circles, and bending to reach her ankles. She began to move her legs the way Katara had shown her, working out the knots in her muscles. It had been years since she regained the ability to walk, but the pain in her legs had never fully gone away.

Whenever the injury acted up, she would go through what she learned in physical therapy, and the ache slowly started to fade until it was dull enough to ignore. 

This trip had been a lot of sitting still and resting, far too much inactivity for Korra’s liking. With her blood already pumping, she began to trace wide circles in the flat sand with the toes of her boot, marking out the spiral patterns she used for air-bending. These movements were pure muscle memory at this point, so Korra didn’t need any light to see what she was doing. The cool breeze rolling off the ocean was enough for her to paint a mental picture of her surroundings. 

Eventually, she transitioned into a lower stance, following the controlled movements necessary for metal-bending. She reached out and felt the air swirling through the piles of sand all around her. It was initially difficult to detect them, but there were tiny particles of iron scattered all around her. Sand was made up of many different minerals, but Fire Nation islands were almost all volcanic in nature, meaning there was a good deal of iron hidden within.

Reaching out, Korra found what she was looking for, and a cloud of black powder emerged from the sand as she skimmed her hands above the surface. It took several attempts to gather enough, but she was able to compact what she had gathered into a solid lump of metal the size of a small fruit.

Korra rolled the iron ball around in her hands, and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. This was a good exercise, one she had practiced fervently after the incident with the mercury poison. It might have just been her lingering fear, but having such fine control over the tiniest amounts of metal brought Korra a soft sense of comfort. She could now pull fine metals out from any source, and she would never again be victim to the poison that nearly destroyed her.

She held the lump in her hand, twisting it around like a piece of clay. Iron wasn’t as easy to bend as a meteorite, but Korra had spent a lot of time practicing. In her hands the Iron ball was forced into a liquid state, and she slipped it between her fingers playfully. When she was done, she wrapped the iron into a smooth band and clasped it around her wrist. 

The clouds gave way long enough for a lonely star to shine through the darkness. Delicate shafts of moonlight illuminated Korra’s surroundings and she spotted a tiny light bobbing far up in the sky. 

The light belonged to a tiny electric lantern, tied to Kai’s belt as he soared overhead. Spotting Korra, he flew down and landed next to her. He set the lantern down on a rock, offering a small circle of yellow light in the middle of the darkness.

“I’m not interrupting anything am I? Asami asked if I could check up on you.”

With a long sigh, Korra answered. “You know, I’m glad you agreed to join us on this weird little adventure. I never really got a chance to reconnect with you when I got back from my travels.”

Kai sat down in the sand, crossing his legs and putting his hands behind his head. “I don’t really blame you. I was super busy with my training and you were in the middle of your personal junk. Honestly hanging out with you and Asami has been a blast, ya know, minus all the spiritual stress.”

Korra joined him on the ground, sitting cross legged in the soft sand. The sand still radiated heat absorbed from its long day in the sun. “Yeah this hasn’t exactly been the carefree vacation we were all secretly hoping it would turn out to be. I’m sorry that you and Asami have to sit around and wait while me and Jinora deal with our visions. How have you been handling it?”

Kai had to think for a moment, but when he answered, his face held a bright smile. “Whenever Jinora uses her spiritual powers, I watch in total awe. What you two can accomplish is nothing short of incredible. Before I got my air-bending, I couldn’t even imagine a fraction of the wonders I have gotten to see in my life. I don’t really mind playing the supportive boyfriend while you two visit that other world.” 

Kai began to poke at a small crab that scuttled around in the sand, eventually he let it go, where it burrowed into the sand and vanished. He looked off into the distance and said, “What’s it like for you once you cross over? Are you inside the other Korra’s body? Or are you watching from above like a ghost?”

“It’s actually kinda horrible. It’s like I’m trapped inside a hollow Korra puppet. I can look out through her eyes, but someone else is controlling my body. The longer the memory goes on, the more that feeling fades, until I have almost convinced myself that I actually _am_ the other Korra, and I have always lived in that world. When I come back here, there is almost a sense of whiplash… like I am being flung out of her body and back into my own.”

“That… that has to suck.” Kai said, picking up a twig and snapping it in half. “I wouldn’t know how to deal with that feeling. From what I have seen back here in our world, I think you have been dealing with it as best as anyone can expect.”

Korra paused, “What do you mean by that?”

Kai shrugged. “If it was anyone else but you, I bet they would get confused about which world was the real one. Those visions would draw them in and scramble their brain. But the Korra I know doesn’t abandon the parts that make you _you._ ”

For a moment, things almost made sense. “The things that make me _me?_ ” She muttered. “I guess that’s what the visions are supposed to be. Someone is showing me all the events that made the other Korra who she is… Or maybe who she could be turning into…”

Kai blinked, and said. “Uh… yeah? I guess that makes sense. Someone wants you to understand who this other Korra is as a person. You went through all those battles to figure out who you were, and now you are seeing what made the other Korra into who she is.”

It still wasn’t the whole picture, but somehow, this idea was believable enough for Korra to let go of her frustration. “I’m still mad that I can’t see the finished puzzle, but you aren’t supposed to understand it from just a few scattered pieces now are you?”

Korra stood up and brushed the sand off her clothes. “Thank you for talking with me Kai. I feel like my head has been in a fog lately, and this made things feel a tiny bit clearer.”

“Really? Cool.” He said, hopping to his feet. “Do you feel strong enough to cross over tonight? Jinora said she’s ready if you are.”

Korra took a moment to steady herself. She had a few concrete answers that she could carry with her into the other world. These visions were the events that made up the other Korra, and by experiencing them firsthand, she would gain a stronger understanding of who and what she was growing into.

She also knew the source of P’li’s anger, and the cause of her falling out with Zaheer. P’li was a former slave, sold to a bandit warlord by her own father. She was a child of unique abilities, stolen from family by violent criminals and raised to be a mindless weapon. It was only natural that P’li would recognize history repeating itself right in front of her.

There was a reason behind her hesitation, and a reason for the fissure that was slowly growing between the members of the Red Lotus.

“Let’s go, I’m ready to see whatever comes next.”


	11. Carry Nothing With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life goes on, and Korra begins to find happiness with the Red Lotus. They do their best to provide with her with her first taste of a normal life, but it doesn't last long.

**Chapter 11: Carry Nothing With You.**

Documentation wasn’t terribly important in the smaller villages of the Fire Nation. All it took to move into a new home was a single payment and a quick signature on the housing deed. The deed would be placed in a folder and the folder would be placed in a box in city hall. That box would normally go untouched for years, and most of the time, it would be thrown away a short time after the homeowner moved out. 

Poorer families would travel to wherever they could find work, and would often leave just as quickly. Demanding multiple rounds of paperwork for every new citizen was seen as waste of trees by most of the village clerks. Paperwork was of more use to city folk after all, out here all that mattered was your word.

It was all too easy for the Red Lotus to gather up the funds for a small house, without any need for forged documents. The leasing office accepted a single cash payment and asked no questions as the new family moved in.

They kept their cover story simple. Korra was now named Ru, and Ghazan was her father, Jian. Zaheer would be called Yorru, posing as Jian’s cousin. 

Jian had lived in Ba Sing Se until his wife died in an accident, and he moved to the Fire Nation to look for work and make a fresh start. Yorru was a traveling scholar who had moved in to help raise Ru while Jian got back on his feet. They had come here on a boat after an old work buddy of Jian suggested they settle down nearby.

This was the story that Korra spent two weeks memorizing. She was forbidden from using her own name, or the names of the Red Lotus, even when they were alone. She was Ru now, a young earth-bender who liked fishing and going on hikes with her family. She had never owned a pet, but she still loved animals.

The other kids at school were quick to accept Ru, and no adult ever pressed her on her past. Zaheer said that the dead mother would garner sympathy, and people would be polite enough to not ask probing questions just in case it brought back bad memories. He was right of course, and even the more gossip prone neighbors kept to themselves around her.

Just like that, Korra, Ghazan and Zaheer disappeared, and in their place emerged Ru, Jian and Yorru. Strangely enough, they slipped into their roles without much difficulty. 

As the only earth-bender in a Fire Nation village, ‘Jian’ was hired to work construction almost immediately. He would help repair buildings and would dig irrigation trenches for the nearby rice farms. Ghazan would come home late, often drenched in sweat from a long day of hard work. From what Korra could tell, he actually seemed to be enjoying himself. He would talk for hours about his new projects, and would often bring home made treats given to him by grateful families. 

He would still make time to teach Korra earth-bending, but it was clear that his work took most of his daily energy. They would run through the stances and work on the finer movements to sculpt shapes out of the rock, but that was about all he could manage to show her.

“I think the fact that I don’t have much left to teach you is a pretty good sign right kid? It either means I am a really bad teacher or a really good one.”

Thanks to his background as a scholar ‘Yorru’ was able to offer private tutoring to the children of the wealthier families in town. Zaheer brought many of the history and mathematics books with him from the island, and he was polite enough in front of the neighbors that he soon earned a reputation as a reliable teacher. He would often have Korra sit in on some of the lessons, even if they were often too advanced for her. 

With his hair grown out and a slight beard, he looked nothing like Zaheer anymore. Sometimes Korra would pretend he actually was Yorru, and it helped her live with him a little bit easier. 

Meanwhile, ‘Ru’ would attend class at the one room schoolhouse in the center of the village. Until children were old enough to learn a trade, they would all study together the basics or reading, writing and history. The other kids were all very nice, and Ru was popular, being the first earth-bender many of them had ever seen. She was always picked first for games and her grades were top notch. Like it or not, all that time studying with Zaheer had stuck with her.

Far away from the village center, their new home was nestled high up in the mountain, obscured by thick trees so you couldn’t see it from the main road.

It was a small cottage, with a room for sleeping, a kitchen and a dining room. Korra slept on a small bed while Zaheer and Ghazan shared a futon on the floor. Across the yard, there was a small outhouse and bathhouse built near the river. Since most of the locals were fire-benders, the pipes were built to be heated from bending. Korra and Ghazan had to heat the water themselves when no one was looking. 

The yard in between the bathhouse and main house started out barren, but little by little, Korra and Zaheer turned it into a small garden, growing tea-leaves and spices that they would give as gifts to their neighbors on holidays and festivals.

Every moment of her week was planned out. Korra would wake up before sunrise, so she could walk down the mountain with Ghazan and make it to school on time. With the house so far away, it took her an extra hour but the exercise always woke her up. Ghazan would brush and braid her hair, making sure her long ponytail was still in order, and then they would walk down the mountain together hand in hand.

After class Zaheer would escort her back up the mountain with any other children he was scheduled to tutor that day. They would spend hours studying together, and then the other students would return home. Once they were out of sight, Zaheer and Korra would hike far up into the mountains to train.

Once again, no bending was allowed, they would bind weights to their limbs and spar with wooden staffs until one of them was too tired to go on. It was always Korra who broke first, but Zaheer would also be out of breath, even on his best days. 

By the time they got home and cleaned up, Ghazan would be done with work. Zaheer usually got groceries while Korra was at school, and the two of them would cook dinner together.

Out of all the Red Lotus members, Zaheer was the second best cook. He had three massive books detailing cuisine from all over the world, and he made sure Korra tried something new whenever they could find the ingredients. 

“Who knows where we might move next. Your palette should adjust no matter where we end up.” he would always say, chopping away at the ingredients with great speed.

As the three of them ate together, Korra would close her eyes and imagine that she really _was_ Ru. She had a good life, and a good family. 

Maybe the fantasy would be easier to accept if she spent all of her time here.

Because many of the students were children of farmers, they would often need time to assist their parents in the fields, and so every three weeks, a break was called for all students.

It was tradition for Yorru to take Ru on a fishing trip during these breaks, and the two would head for the beach to untie their small boat from the docks and set sail. As soon as the shore was out of sight, Zaheer would give Korra a slight nod, and she would leap into the ocean alone.

Maybe at some point, the ocean was a scary place. It was vast and below her there was only darkness. On more than one occasion a massive creature had swam out of the depths to inspect her, or a school of tiger-sharks had cruised her way. If it were any other water-bender, this would have been a danger to avoid, but Korra had learned from someone much more dangerous than any living in the sea.

“You can swim unafraid if you swim as a predator does. Anything that crosses your path should regret it.” Ming-Hua once told her. She said this moments after she impaled a squid-shark through the eye and dragged it onto land to gut open. 

Korra moved through the water quickly, taking a bubble of air with her so she wouldn’t need to resurface for some time. Whenever another predator got too close, all it took was a bolt of ice and she would once again find herself swimming alone. The ocean was not something to be scared of, it was only a minor obstacle standing between her and the rest of her family.

During the monthly breaks, Korra would spend a week on the old islands, training with Ming-Hua and P’li. While she loved her new life in the village, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was still her home.

While on the islands, Korra would spend most of her time observing Ming-Hua. Even her smallest movements had a brutal grace that was mesmerizing to watch. She never spoke of how she lost her arms, but it was clear that however she came to be without them, it must have happened a long time ago. Just based on the way she used her water-bending, it was obvious that she had fully adjusted to life without her arms.

The curve of her bending started in her feet, then she rolled that energy upwards, twisting her spine to follow through, allowing her water tentacles to finish the strike. During their training, Korra would follow suit, always water-bending from the ground up. The rolling motions were very similar to the low heavy stances of earth-bending, and soon Korra could manipulate large masses of water with only the slightest rotation of her torso.

It was just like swimming, moving her whole body to propel the water forward with unwavering power. It wasn’t uncommon for Korra to hold her own arms behind her back, to force herself to use other methods of bending when she was with Ming-Hua. 

As tenacious as she could be, Ming-Hua would grow tired if she kept her arms active for more than a few hours. She would release her hold on the water, and deposit them into large stone troughs dug into the walls of the cave. The moment her tendrils were gone, her whole posture changed, as if a brand new Ming-Hua had taken her place. She would curve her body inward, and move in quick measured steps around the cave. She hung her head low and would manipulate objects with her feet or even her mouth if she couldn’t be bothered to reform the arms.

Ming-Hua had a series of odd rituals that she fiercely stuck to every day. She wouldn’t let anyone else prepare food for her, preferring to cook it herself. However when it came to eating, she would often ask for help from Korra or P’li. She would sit close by and accept food one spoonful at a time. Korra never could figure out why she was ok with help eating, but not ok with help cooking.

When she wasn’t hunting, Ming-Hua would nap in unusual places, like directly in the center of the kitchen table, or on the top of the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes she would nap in between the support pillars Ghazan had built. There was a flat vertical cross beam jutting out of the side of each support pillar, which Korra only now realized Ghazan had carved specifically for Ming-Hua to use. She perched on these pillars like a bird, and watched Korra go about her daily chores. 

Even with the other members of the Red Lotus, there was an underlying air of suspicion following Ming-Hua. It felt different from Zaheer's overly-cautious nature. Ming-Hua had a different aura about her. It was almost as if she were a wild animal, making sure her territory was unchallenged.

Despite her solitary nature, Ming-Hua often needed help with smaller tasks when she wasn’t feeling up to forming her arms. P’li would iron and fold all of Ming-Hua’s clothes, and if she was feeling brave, she would attempt to comb Ming-Hua’s knotted black hair. Ming-Hua normally hated it when other people touched her, but she would allow P’li brief windows where she wouldn’t immediately run away. P’li would also pick up Ming-Hua if she had fallen asleep somewhere odd and set her down on a proper bed.

Korra remembered how Ghazan used to look after Ming-Hua when all five of them were together. It seemed that since Ming-Hua was now alone with P’li, those duties had transferred over to her. P'li didn't seem to mind though.

As the weeks turned to months, Korra noticed the slow bond of trust growing between the two women. During Ming-Hua’s naps, P’li would often sit close-by and read until Ming-Hua woke up. Ming-Hua’s hair grew less wild as she begrudgingly grew accustomed to P’li’s combing attempts. In a great sign of trust, Ming-Hua started relying on P’li to help her dress in the mornings, and she would even join P’li for morning meditation. Although Ming-Hua would always leave before the meditation was finished, it was clear that she was starting to appreciate P’li’s company more as time went on. Perhaps with the other three living on the mainland, they grew tired of their isolation and agreed to work together.

Korra would practice her firebending with P’li every other day. The flow of the fire had always come easy to Korra, but with P’li’s tutelage they had become a formidable duo. Korra could generate fire hot enough to burn blue for the briefest of moments, and she could leap about using great gusts of warm air.

More than just raw power, P’li was strict about teaching Korra extensive control over her fire. Some days consisted of nothing but putting out fires. P’li would shake a tree, and light the leaves that drifted down. It was Korra’s job to snuff them out before they hit the ground.

“If you can’t control the fire you create, the only person you’ll end up hurting is yourself. Fire requires discipline above all else.”

While she often spoke of discipline, P’li was not terribly invested in enforcing it when Korra visited. They were supposed to call her ‘Ru’ but they gave up after the first few visits. On the mainland she was Ru, but here on the island she was allowed to be Korra again.

The biggest breach of discipline was hidden under Korra’s old bed. She was allowed to keep a knotted lock of white hair, and an old piece of chewed leather. After P’li took Naga away, Zaheer made sure that there was no trace of the polar-bear-dog left on the island. P’li however, pressed the two keepsakes into Korra’s hand the first time she returned to the islands, and made a gesture for her to keep it a secret.

The leather was the one of the only toys Naga was allowed to have on the island. It had large puncture holes in it from the constant slobbery bites, and it still smelled like her even after all this time.

With her life in this new rhythm, time began to melt together before Korra’s eyes. Two years had passed since she moved to her new home. She was a year away from aging out of the school, and enough new families had moved in for her to no longer be considered the ‘new kid’

Twelve year old Korra had changed significantly since she first left the island. The last of her baby fat had melted away, replaced by the lanky frame of a teenager. The near constant training with the Red Lotus had given her the faintest hint of muscle, and she was a good head taller than everyone else in her class.

Her hair was long enough that Ghazan could tie it into a ponytail as long as P’li’s. A single woven hair-tie kept it all in place, a project she and P’li had made together one day. She often wore the tan and white robes common in the Fire Nation, with the sleeves cut short to keep her movement unrestricted. While she was forbidden from wearing any Water Tribe fashion, she still opted to wear thick leather boots instead of the small flats Zaheer often bought for her.

While Zaheer was trying harder to be less of a mentor and more of a parent to Korra, she could tell he wasn’t entirely comfortable with his role, and neither was she. He would be present for the school functions and would do his best to teach her new skills, but it was clear that he kept a wall between them far thicker than any of the others did.

Perhaps it was simply anxiety, rather than actual hatred Korra thought. While none of the Red Lotus members shared much of their history with her, it was clear that Zaheer had the least amount of experience with children.

One summer, when her stomach began to cramp, Zaheer flew into a full panic. While Korra moaned on the floor, he ran in circles, flipping through his medical journals for a possible solution. When Ghazan came home and found out what was going on, he simply sighed and said, “You don’t have any sisters, do you Yorru?” He then prepared a pot of ginger tea and heated a hot water bottle for Korra. 

Zaheer was clearly embarrassed by the event and refused to speak of it ever again. When Korra told P’li and Ming-Hua about it, they only laughed and gave Korra a long overdue talk about growing up.

When spring came at the start of Korra’s third year in the village, she was surprised to see Ghazan waiting for her after school instead of Zaheer. The two walked up the mountain in total silence, something clearly wrong.

There was a small plume of smoke coming from the mountainside. Korra watched it grow bigger and bigger as they got closer to her hom. In her backyard, P’li, Ming-Hua and Zaheer were burning her belongings in a deep pit. Bundles of her clothes, her notebooks from school, even a wooden doll she had won during a solstice carnival. 

“This means we have to leave right?” Korra asked weakly as she watched her entire life go up in smoke. There were even some of her belongings from the islands among the pyre. 

“We just received a report. White Lotus agents have been scouring nearby villages. We have to make sure there was no trace of us left behind.” Zaheer said, his hair cut and his beard gone.

P’li was wearing a long robe with face wrappings covering her forehead, Ming-Hua was wearing a long sleeved jacket that gave the impression of real arms, and Ghazan was wearing a brand new jacket instead of his work uniform. Looking down into the pit, Korra could see other belongings burning next to hers, all of them were destroying what they had built over the past seven years. All of them were ready to start over.

“I already collapsed the caves, it’s like we were never there.” Ghazan said in a soft voice. He stood away from the pit, unable to look up from the ground.

Korra swallowed the terrible pit in her throat. All of the tunnels she had helped dig, the chambers she spent years playing in, the garden she had planted with P’li… all gone in the course of a single day. She couldn’t stop the tears, but she managed not to make any noise as they finished clearing out the house. By the time they were done, Korra had only the clothes she was wearing, and a single knapsack. In the bag was a single change of clothes, a wineskin full of water, some dried fruit, a small bar of soap, a pocket knife and a thin brown blanket. The tuft of Naga’s fur was hidden at the very bottom of the bag, mostly likely placed there by P’li.

When it was all ash, Ghazan smoothed over the pit, and moved a few stray boulders on top so it didn't stand out from the rest of the now barren backyard. Zaheer locked up the house and placed the keys in an envelope that he left in the mailbox.

“I took care of everything. The house will be sold, and everyone will assume Jian moved back to Ba Sing Se. I secured us transport a few months ago and had our comrades deliver it here.” Zaheer said as he escorted the team away from the empty house.

Parked near the road, was a pair of beat up Sato-mobiles. They each had a covered flatbed in the back, and their tires were all dangerously low on air. The banner on each side marked the trucks as transports for hauling scrap metal.

“We’ll drive until we reach a junkyard about a full day’s drive away, and we let them scrap the trucks. Afterwards we are going to meet up with a boat provided by our allies and head for the southern coast of Kolau.” as Zaheer gave orders, he pulled down a ramp on the back of the truck, and gestured for Korra to climb inside.

Without waiting, Zaheer and P’li climbed into the two front seats, while Ghazan and Ming-Hua climbed up onto the flatbed. Zaheer leaned out of the driver seat, and locked eyes with Korra. He could see that her face was still red from crying, and for a moment his grim expression flickered. However, he was able to crush whatever it was he might have been feeling, and gave her a final command. “Carry nothing with you. It’s the only way we can stay untethered from what might hold us back.”

Korra followed, and helped Ghazan close the ramp behind her. In the back of the truck, a stack of wooden boxes were arranged in a pyramid structure and held in place with ropes. Ghazan gestured to one of the larger boxes, and pulled the lid open. Inside was a pile of twisted metal, old gears and tin cans. He grabbed a rusted door handle and pulled, and the entire scrap pile moved as one. There was a hidden compartment beneath, revealing a space large enough for Korra to hide inside.

Ming-Hua lifted Korra up and placed her in the empty space. Before she closed the lid, Ming-Hua paused, and asked, “Are you alright Korra? It’s not as tight a fit as it looks, all of the boxes are hollowed out and connected, you should be able to lie down.”

“I’m ok… just a little sad.” Korra said, wiping a booger from her face. “Will all five of us be going together?”

“Of course we are. Ming-Hua and I will be driving the other truck as a decoy, but we will all meet up again on the boat. I promise you everything is going to be ok.” Ghazan placed a gentle kiss on Korra’s forehead and Ming-Hua closed the secret compartment with a loud metallic click.

Rays of evening sunlight peeked through the tiny cracks in the top of the crate, and Korra had to lay on her side just to fit. The boxes only had three walls, the fourth opening up to another fake crate, allowing Korra to stretch her legs out until they rested on the wooden wall on the other side. 

Muffled, Korra could hear P’li’s voice coming from the cab. “Just try to stay quiet dear, We can make a pitstop for food and water in a few hours, I know you can handle this. Knock three times if it’s an emergency. Ok?”

Korra knocked once to let her know she heard, and P’li started to talk again, but she was drowned out by the roar of the engine. The truck was old and it rattled like its engine was full of rocks. The road out of the village was bumpy and Korra had to brace herself against the corner to avoid banging her head against the ceiling with each passing pothole. 

As they drove away from her home, Korra pulled out the blanket and used the rest of her knapsack as a pillow. She couldn’t fall asleep, but it was better than laying on the hard floor.

It was going to be a long journey, and to pass the time, Korra began to recite all the names of her classmates in her head. One by one she matched a name to a face, and when she was done she did it again. She had no photos, no keepsakes and nothing to remember them by, save for what she could hold onto in her mind. She was already disobeying Zaheer, since she was trying her hardest to carry everyone with her. Somehow, despite how hard she was trying, part of her knew that the names and faces would fade away no matter what she did.

As the sun set, and the inside of the crate turned pitch black, Korra cried herself to sleep for the first time in a long time.


	12. Closing The Distance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra gets help from an old friend, drawing her closer to the man who kidnapped P'li.
> 
> Meanwhile in the other world, the other Korra finds herself at a violent crossroads.

**Chapter 12: Closing The Distance** ****

Despite her family's best efforts, Lin Beifong had yet to fully commit to the concept of ‘retirement.’ While she was no longer the chief of police, she was still dedicating her time to fighting injustice, only now on a larger scale. With the money she had saved up, and a small investment from Su, Lin had started up her own little business venture. 

_ Beifong Security  _ was an independent agency that could be hired for anything from private detective work, to a full scale defense militia. In the beginning it was just Lin and about twenty of the officers who followed her when she left Republic City, but over the years her team had grown to over two hundred agents with bases all over the world.

To her credit, Lin’s agents were far more than just hired muscle. Her centers offered training for metal-benders, work release for ex-convicts, and low cost protection for villages that were still at risk from bandit attacks. Between the Beifong agents and the new Air Nomads, the reconstruction of the former Earth Kingdom was a resounding success. 

Lin had even had a few offers to run for elected office by some of the smaller states, but she had turned them all down. “I’m retired after all. I would prefer to focus on my charity work.” Lin usually said this moments after she had just tackled some criminal to the ground and slung his unconscious body over her shoulder.

When it came to tracking down information about a twenty year old bandit attack, there was no one better suited for the job than Lin Beifong. Even though her words were coming in a little fuzzy over the airship radio, her grumpiness managed to come through loud and clear.

“Yeah I have the files you requested so stop asking! You better appreciate the time I took out of my busy schedule to run your little errand.” Lin snapped.

“Isn’t retirement supposed to make your schedule a lot  _ less _ busy or am I just crazy?” Korra quipped back, only to get a series of annoyed groans in response through the crackling speaker. 

The crew had done a remarkable job patching up the airship after the failed landing a few days ago, and they were ready to move on from Kemuri once Lin gave them a heading to follow.

“I’ll tell you what Avatar, I’ll fully embrace this retirement thing the same day you do, deal?” Try as she might, Lin couldn’t fully disguise the playfulness behind her voice. Korra was glad that they weren’t constantly at each other’s throats anymore.

“Get a pencil or something to write this down, because I don’t feel like repeating myself, got it?” Without hesitating, Lin began reading the reports aloud.

The entire room broke into a full panic, trying to catch up as Lin spoke without pausing. Kai and Jinora scramble to find a piece of paper while Korra dashed over to Asami, who was offering up one of her fountain pens. Luckily, Korra was soon jotting everything down on an old piece of crumpled parchment, trying not to miss a word of what Lin had uncovered.

According to a series of old military reports, a multitude of bandit clans had been terrorizing the South-Eastern portion of the Fire Nation ever since the end of the Hundred year war. After the defeat of Ozai, many of his soldiers deserted, fearing retribution for their crimes. These deserters were quickly absorbed by the local bandit clans, who offered up protection in exchange for their loyalty. This caused a massive swell in numbers for smaller bandit clans, and soon they were able to establish a formidable network that was still being fought by the United Forces to this very day.

While many of the notable clans had been broken up long before Korra was born, a few continued to operate in the area. Based on the reports she had available, Lin suspected that they were looking for a clan known as ‘ _ Shishio’s Lion-Vultures.’  _ Which as the name implied, had been founded by a man known as Shishio. 

The Lion-Vultures were well known for extortion, racketeering and human trafficking all up and down the Fire Nation coasts. They used stolen Fire Navy ships to bombard villages unwilling to pay their fees and employed a small collection of water-benders to cover their escapes using massive tidal waves. 

As it turns out, Shishio was notorious for his habit of ‘collecting’ rare benders, and his crew was rumored to include blood-benders, metal-benders and even at one point, a combustion-bender.

Korra hadn't even noticed how hard she was clenching her fist at this point. Jinora placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and pointed to the small trail of blood trickling down her palm. Korra pulled back and saw the four half-moon cuts from where her fingernails had dug into her skin.

“Does this sound like the guy you’re looking for? Because this is probably your only lead at this point.” Lin said as she finished her little presentation.

“It’s him. He has to be the one who stole P’li. His men were seen near Kemuri and he had the motive. Do you know where he is now?” Korra asked, trying her best to remain calm. 

“This is going to be a little anticlimactic for you Avatar, but we know exactly where he is. He was arrested and his gang was almost completely dissolved. He paid his dues to society and is currently living under the watchful eye of several parole officers on a barren island colony to the south. You can go question him if you want, but there isn’t much he can tell us that isn’t already in the reports.” 

Lin was right, this wasn’t what Korra had been hoping for. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Korra had hoped that he was still out there somewhere, waiting for her to swoop in and kick his teeth in. She had long since moved on from that kind of hot headed violence, but the urge still flared up when she least expected it. Maybe it was just the influence of the other Korra, but these flares were getting a little more frequent as of late. The last thing Korra wanted was to slip back into old habits, especially since she had worked so hard to gain control over these sorts of emotions.

Asami knelt down so she could be eye level with Korra in her chair. “Do you think you can handle talking to him? Maybe he can tell us what happened to Zhu, or at the very least, give us some more insight about P’li. If you want me to take the lead on this one I am more than happy to play the diplomat.”

“I would appreciate the help, I can already tell that I am not going to like this guy. If I go talk to him alone, I feel like I might just yell at him the whole time.” Korra said, letting out a frustrated sigh. Asami gave Korra’s hand a quick squeeze, letting her know that it was going to be alright.

There was a familiar sort of anger nestled inside Korra, and she knew that it was only going to grow if she didn’t do something about it. This man was responsible for tearing so many families apart. This was the same man who twisted P’li until she became the monster who died fighting on top of Laghima’s peak. If Korra was going to understand who P’li was, she was going to have to follow this trail until the very end, even if it took her through emotions she had long thought past her.

“What are the coordinates of that island Lin?”

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Leaving Kemuri left a strange atmosphere lingering between Korra and her friends. As the airship took off, they all stood on the observation deck and watched it disappear over the horizon. 

Kai was the first to speak up. “Maybe when this is all over we can go on an actual vacation. We never got to see the glass blowing workshops. I wanted to buy us all cool glass souvenirs.”

Korra chuckled. “It sure is a pretty place alright, almost like it has been frozen in time. But I don’t think I want to come back, at least not for a while.”

Concerned, Asami leaned on Korra’s shoulder. “Why is that? Was it because of P’li?”

“Yeah I guess... It was just like Goro said, there were ghosts there. It felt like P’li and her mother were lingering just on the edges of my vision somewhere. Like if I turned around I would see them watching me.” Thinking back to the vision Korra saw in her room, she couldn’t help but feel that maybe she wasn’t too far off the mark.

Jinora shivered. “Maybe we should vacation somewhere a little less haunted next time.”

Scrunching up his face, Kai shot her a quizzical look. “Says the girl who visits the spirit world every other day. Shouldn’t you be used to haunted stuff by now?” Jinora gave him a playful shove and his face broke into a wide smile.

“Spirits and ghosts, they aren’t exactly the same thing. Spirits are embodiments of nature and ghosts are… well they are what we leave behind when we can’t move on. I would prefer an angry spirit over a vengeful ghost any day of the week.”

The airship puttered along, making good time as the ocean churned below. A storm would be passing by them to the west, and with a slight deviation to the course they could avoid the brunt of its rage. 

Later that evening, Kai led the effort to scrounge up a meal for the rest of the crew. Living with the new Air Nomads had given the boy a real talent when it came to cooking, so long as the dish mostly contained vegetables. 

With only a moderate amount of mess left behind, they were able to make a large pot of sweet smelling curry. With the sky turning dark outside, a warm bowl of curry was exactly what they needed to lift their spirits.

“I’m not sure what I’ll be looking for next time I cross over.” Korra admitted, placing her empty bowl down on the table in front of her. With a full stomach and some distance, Korra was already feeling a lot more stable.

Asami pulled a small notebook out of her jacket, and flipped through the pages as she spoke. “From what you’ve told us, the visions tend to focus on moments that the other Korra  _ wants _ you to see. I think the closer we get to confronting Shishio the more your visions will reveal about him and his connection to P’li.”

Pausing, Jinora pointed to the notebook with one of her chopsticks. “Wait... have you been writing everything down this whole time?”

Asami blinked, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face. “Uh… Yeah? While you two are meditating I usually write down my thoughts and observations. It helps me stay focused the more we uncover.” 

Asami handed Jinora the notebook, who quickly began thumbing through it. Jinora’s eyes sparkled with inspiration as she snapped the tiny notebook shut. She turned to Asami and asked, “Do you mind if we compare notes later? You have a totally different method of analyzing the effects of the visions! I might need to add some of your observations to mine! We should go through everything you’ve noticed while we cross over from your point of view.”

Before the dishes were even cleared, the two of them were already sifting through Jinora’s stack of messy notebooks and discussing possible theories.

Korra let out a soft sigh as she watched Asami and Jinora get caught up in their own little bubble. Glancing over at Kai, he had the same lovestruck expression plastered on his face as he watched Jinora.

“What a couple of dorks.” said Kai, making sure to speak quiet enough so that only Korra could hear him.

“Yeah but they’re our dorks.” 

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“So how old was the other Korra last time you crossed over?” Kai asked, pacing back and forth while everyone else got ready.

“She was around twelve years olds based on what I could see.” Korra said, tossing the red necklace back and forth between her hands.

With an annoyed grunt, Jinora buried her face into her hands. “I guess that explains why everything is so weird for me whenever I cross over with you. The other Jinora is only two years old! I didn’t even start speaking until I was three and half! All I see when I cross over is the ceiling of my old bedroom on Air temple island. Mom and Dad barely let me out of their sight so I’m not exactly doing anything worth mentioning. I have nothing to report on my end whatsoever!” With another grunt, Jinora flopped face first onto the floor. 

Asami placed a hand on Jinora’s back, trying to offer some sense of reassurance. “To be fair you were the first air-bender in a generation. It makes sense that your family would want to keep you away from the action.”

“Well Ikki should be born sometime soon. Maybe you should look at this as an opportunity to experience what it was like to be an only child again?” Korra suggested.

This seemed to catch Jinora’s attention, and she slowly rose back up into a seated position. “Well then what are we waiting for?” Without another word, she assumed her meditative posture and closed her eyes.

Trying not to laugh, Korra crossed her legs and did her best to join Jinora.

The gate was easy to find, opening to them with almost no effort whatsoever. As the real world began to fade, and the other world rushed to replace it, Korra felt a twisting sensation in her gut. The pull to the other world was much stronger than it normally was, and it was more than happy to let her drift back inside.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

“But you promised! You said that I could join the next mission! We had a deal Zaheer!” Korra shouted, bending a set of heavy stone weights into the wall with enough force to punch a hole straight through to the room on the other side.

There it was, that anger she knew all too well. The other Korra was furious, overflowing with the kind of rage that hadn’t plagued Korra in years. It was almost tangy, like a flavor she had almost forgotten the taste of. The sheer weight of the anger running through her blood was enough to make her whole body feel heavy.

Zaheer simply sighed, kicking a piece of debris away with his foot. “If this is how you are going to behave when you don’t get your way, it’s clear to me that you’ll never be ready to join the Red Lotus out in the field.”

The years had changed both of them. Zaheer wore a simple green and black Earth Kingdom outfit, his hair now long enough to form a top knot. With his weary face, he looked more like the Zaheer Korra knew from her own world. The youth he had been clinging to at the start of these visions was finally fading, exposing the bitter adult underneath.

The other Korra was much older, probably close to sixteen at this point. She was dressed in a well worn sleeveless sparring outfit, her face finally free of its more childish softness. She was leaner now, with taut muscles already forming on her lanky limbs. Even after all this time, she kept her hair the same, her ponytail now long enough to reach past her shoulders.

For the first time since the visions had started, the other Korra truly looked like a stranger. It was a bizarre sensation, like Korra was both inside and outside of her own body at the same time. She was somehow watching this other Korra from afar, all while still trapped beneath the strangers skin. There were unfamiliar calluses along her knuckles, new scars up and down her arms, and an alien harshness in her voice.

What could have happened between now and the previous vision? Hadn’t the other Korra been living a quiet life? Well, as quiet as the life of a kidnapped child on the run could hope to have at least. This new Korra felt like a bad memory given physical form.

What scared Korra the most, was what she saw in one of the mirrors hanging on the far wall. A single glimpse of the other Korra’s eyes told her everything she needed to know. The other Korra now had the same hollow hunger behind her eyes that Zaheer had. It was a look shared by the original members of the Red Lotus back in Korra’s world, the same look they had when they tried to poison her. 

It was a savage expression that belonged to an animal who had long since grown tired of its cage. Whatever the Red Lotus wanted her to change into, the transformation was almost complete.

“I know I can do this! What have you been training me for if not this exact situation!” The other Korra lifted another stone barbell, not with bending this time, but with the strength of one hand. She hurled the barbell into the opposite wall, where it became embedded like a knife in the bark of a tree. Spiderweb cracks exploded out and a wave of dust shot across the room.

The anger in Zaheer’s eye shifted into something far more cold, and he let out a sigh. He took a step forward, and placed his hand on the other Korra’s shoulder. At his touch, the other Korra flinched, pulling away from him like she expected pain.

“The truth is… that I was actually planning for tonight to be your first real mission with us.” His voice was cold and even, but it almost sounded like he was telling the truth.

The other Korra paused, and her whole body language changed. It was almost like watching a mink-snake shed its skin, as the hostility quickly melted away into childish glee.

“You really mean it? I get to see them again?” The other Korra was practically dancing with joy, spiraling in small circles while stepping around all the rubble she had created on the floor.

Zaheer held up a hand, signaling for her to stop, which she did almost immediately. “Let me finish Korra… This WAS going to be your first mission, but a new target was located, a significantly more  _ dangerous _ target. This means we will have to postpone your initiation until we get back.”

The joy faded, and something ugly came rushing in to take its place. Just as quickly as it had left, the anger came thundering back home. It was so potent it felt like it filled every empty space inside the other Korra, threatening to burst out the seams.

Without warning the other Korra threw her fist at Zaheer, aiming for the face.

The muscle memory took over at this point, Zaheer dodging and redirecting the attack with ease. Korra launched blow after blow at Zaheer, but none of them managed to break through his guard. 

Images of all their past sparring matches flashed through Korra’s mind. Nearly every day for the past eleven years, the two of them fought. She had collected over a decades worth of bruises and had never landed a single hit on Zaheer. But until now, she had never come at him with this much rage behind her fists.

Out of habit, Korra repressed her instinct to bend, coming at Zaheer with only her raw strength. Even blinded with rage, some manner of etiquette managed to work its way to the surface of her mind.

When he entered the hideout earlier today, she watched him bandage his left shoulder, no doubt an injury from the scouting phase of tonight's mission. Korra began to strike harder while circling to the right, taking advantage of his fresh injury. When Zaheer shifted to a more defensive stance, Korra pressed even harder, maneuvering him backwards.

One misstep was all she needed, and when Zaheer slipped on one of the bits of broken wall, she made her move. She made a feint towards his legs, like she was trying to take advantage of his poor footing. Zaheer went low to block her kick, and that was the exact opening she needed.

The two of them had been sparring since Korra was barely half his height. All this time he had been blocking attacks from someone smaller than him, and now with his head low enough, she could finally strike from above. 

Korra brought both of her fists hurtling downward in a violent arc, connecting with the back of Zaheer’s neck. There was a resounding crack and Zaheer plummeted face first onto the floor. For a moment, the training hall was silent, and Zaheer was utterly still. Had she knocked him out? Was he dead? The triumph quickly turned to horror as Korra watched for any sign of life. 

Suddenly, Zaheer rose to his feet, face covered in dust and a trail of fresh blood coming from his nose. He took a long deep breath, and his stance loosened until it was clear that he had no intention to continue this fight. 

She won? It wasn’t possible, not against Zaheer. He was untouchable when it came to fighting, if it wasn’t for that injury Korra would have never been able to-

“I can already tell… you’re thinking that this proves how ready you are.” Zaheer said, wiping away the blood trickling down onto his lips. “But look how long it took you to land a single blow against an opponent who had no intention of killing you. If you follow us into the field there could be a dozen or more enemies after you. Do you really think you can handle an opponent who won’t show you any mercy?”

Korra was practically shaking with rage at this point, she had finally beaten Zaheer and he didn’t even give her a moment to enjoy it. Korra took another step forward, shouting, “Then fight me for real! You can go all out and I get to use my bending! I'll still win!” 

Korra lit a flame around her fists and held onto her combative stance, but Zaheer didn’t flinch. He only turned away, placing a hand on the door leading out of the training hall. “The others are already waiting for me, we can discuss this when I get back.”

Korra let out a guttural roar, and with it she breathed out a heavy cloud of flames at Zaheer's back. Without even looking, he twisted his body in time to avoid the flames, and the fire dissipated into the air between them. “I said you weren’t ready, and all you managed to do was prove me correct. You could be the greatest warrior in the world, and it wouldn’t change a thing if you don’t have self control. You’d only be a liability to us as you are now. Tonight you will stay behind, and clean up the results of your little temper tantrum.”

With a cruel finality, Zaheer closed the door behind him, leaving Korra alone in the destroyed training hall. In her blind rage, she had broken half of the equipment, torn a hole in the wall and utterly decimated several of the wooden support pillars. Korra flopped down on a dusty rubber mat and let out a long frustrated scream.

She had been so excited, to see them all again. It had been years since she had last seen P’li, Ming-Hua and Ghazan together. After fleeing from their first home, Korra and the Red Lotus had to find a new place to live every time the White Lotus caught the slightest wind of their existence.

Leaping from identity to identity had been a nightmare for Korra. Sometimes at night she would forget who she was supposed to be, the fake people she lived as dancing around inside her brain. Who was she supposed to be when she woke up? Was she Ru? The little earth bender who flew kites with her father? Was she Jun? The daughter of a librarian who was afraid of the ocean? Maybe she was actually Nuwa, the delinquent who helped her mother sell bread on the streets of Ba Sing Se.

She hadn’t been Korra in so long, she wasn’t exactly sure who that was anymore. Maybe if she saw P’li again, it would all come flooding back. They could meditate together, and talk about whatever was on their mind. Korra could talk openly about how much she missed Naga, and P’li wouldn’t scold her for dwelling on the past like Zaheer did.

If she could only just see P’li again, it would be the good days. It just had to be.

  
Everyone other than P’li had gotten a chance to play Korra’s fake parents. Zaheer mostly acted as a single father or watchful uncle, and sometimes Ghazan got to be the father. Ming-Hua had been her mother more than once, but due to how recognizable her arms could be, she often had to stay in the shadows.

With her height and tattoos… P’li was never able to take on a role in their fake little game of family. She would stay far behind, in case she was needed. As time went on, she was called off to work with a different cell of the Red Lotus, and Ming-Hua soon followed.

A few months ago when Ghazan was recognized by the guards in Omashu, he was relocated as well, leaving Korra alone with Zaheer. After that, they basically dropped the act all together. Zaheer wasn’t interested in playing pretend now that Korra was older. 

So they bought an old building in Ba Sing Se’s outer ring, and transformed it into an underground training center. New recruits to the Red Lotus were sent here, to study under Zaheer before being sent out to start their own cells across the world. Korra would be made to train alongside them, but when they left, she stayed.

Korra went around the massive empty hall, bending the bits of rock back into place, trying to smooth out the hole she made in the wall. The stone dumbbells were dented and cracked, so she did her best to sculpt replacements. 

More than a half hour had passed since her fight with Zaheer, and a small buzz began to form in the back of her mind.  _ I overheard the call he got over the radio. He needs to go to the checkpoint by the sewers first before meeting up with the others… there might still be time to follow him...” _

Letting the pair of weights she was working on fall to the ground with a  _ thwump _ , Korra darted to the door, pressing her ear against it. There was no one on the other side. With the last batch of recruits gone, it was just her and Zaheer, and Zaheer was already left.

Slinking through the halls and up the stone stairs, Korra found herself in the upper levels of the compound. The empty building was nothing more than a front, with the real training compound buried deep underground.

The metal trap door to the surface was locked, but it was embedded into the stone floor. With a push of earth-bending, Korra ripped the locked door up into the air, floating it high enough for her to slip outside.

As gently as she could manage, she placed the door back into its place, a long ugly tear still visible. Smoothing over the stone took time, and Korra was only willing to waste a few seconds trying to cover up most of the damage. 

It was late into the night, and the outer ring had poor lighting this far away from the inner walls. It was the perfect environment for someone wanting to go unnoticed, which suited Korra just fine.

A burst of fire-bending would be more than enough to launch Korra up onto the roof, but she didn’t want to draw any more attention to herself. To stay hidden, Korra elected to climb up a drain pipe until she could hoist herself up onto the roof of their hideout.

The hard part was over, now Korra had a clear path to Zaheer's checkpoint. When she jumped from roof to roof, she tucked her body in and bent her knees, making sure each landing was as quiet as possible. She chuckled to herself, considering that it was Zaheer who had taught her this very technique. One after another, she made her way across the city, the street far below her.

Soon Korra was atop a brightly lit hotel, with a clear view of the water filtration plant on the east side of the district. A small flash of green caught her eye, as she watched Zaheer climb over the fence and slip past a low stone wall towards the storm drains.

Keeping her balance, Korra darted across a radio wire dangling between the hotel and the next building. She was at least six stories above the ground, but she and Ming-Hua had walked across thinner ropes at even greater heights, so it was barely an obstacle for her.

There was a metal fire escape on this building, and Korra scampered back down to the ground, following Zaheer over the fence and deeper into the facility. 

It wouldn’t be long now, she was going to see her family again. Zaheer didn’t know what he was talking about, Korra knew she was ready to join the Red Lotus no matter how dangerous the mission would be. As long as she could see P’li it didn’t matter.

Even Zaheer’s anger didn’t phase her now, she had beaten him once, she could do it again. His grip on her had slipped, even if just by a hair, and that was enough to embolden Korra tenfold.

She watched Zaheer from the shadows as he lifted a manhole cover, and vanished into the sewers. Korra waited a few moments to give him a head start, then followed.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

It was a new moon that night, and the thick smog from the outer ring covered most of the stars. Korra did her best to follow Zaheer out of the city from a safe distance. He sprinted down the mountain side until he came across a hidden game trail. For over an hour he ran silently down the path until he finally arrived at the meeting site.

The river was wide and muddy, with a low flat boat waiting for him by an overgrown dock. Three figures waited for him in the dark.

He stood before the dock, and spoke the code phrase. “The vulture finally starves tonight.”

P’li stepped forward, her eyes empty of any emotion towards Zaheer. “Let us pick the bone clean, as he would ours.” She offered her hand to him, and helped him board the boat. Ghazan nodded to Ming-Hua, who began to bend the water behind the boat. It was too risky to use a motor, the less noise they made the better.

Under the water, in a bubble of air, Korra followed the trail left behind as the boat zoomed forward. If they had used a motor, she might not have been able to follow this easily.

Running after Zaheer, and swimming like this for hours on end would have exhausted Korra a year ago. But the non-stop training had built up her stamina considerably, and so she pushed past the barriers placed by her aching muscles and continued tailing the Red Lotus.

The river grew less muddy as it fed into the ocean, and the river bed below her vanished into the familiar dark depths of the sea. The boat kept going, two long tendrils of water-bending pushing them towards whatever destination they were looking for.

Each time Korra risked coming up to refill her air bubble, the eastern coast of the Earth kingdom kept getting further and further away, the Red Lotus heading further north into colder and colder waters.  
Eventually, the boat slowed to a stop. They couldn’t have possibly arrived anywhere yet, they were in the middle of the ocean. _Ming-Hua must have needed a break, they are going to rest here before moving on_. Korra thought as she swam underneath the belly of the boat.

Curious as to what they might be talking about, Korra swam close enough to press her ear against the bottom of the boat, the metal icy cold against her skin. She could hear muffled voices, but she could not make out the individual words.

She decided to take a risk, surfacing to the back-left side of the boat to try and eavesdrop. She knew that if she surfaced near the front, she would be spotted, and Ming-Hua was probably close to the rear. The side was the only place she could achieve any cover from their line of sight.

“-there isn’t any other way for this to play out. I will enter the lower deck alone.” There it was, P’li’s voice. How long had it been since Korra had heard her voice? She sounded furious, a grim determination dripping off her words.

“We’ve got your back P’li. This has been a long time coming. As soon as you are done, I’ll cover your escape,” the warm supportive voice of Ghazan said. That same determination coated his voice, but a tinge of sadness followed that Korra couldn’t quite place.

There were footsteps, light and delicate. He wasn’t saying anything but Korra could tell that the steps belonged to Zaheer. He was oddly silent despite being the de facto leader of this group. Was he still their leader? They hadn’t been in the same place for over a year and half, maybe he wasn’t comfortable calling the shots anymore?

“Tonight is the night, I don’t think I’ve felt this kind of heat in a long time. We get one shot at this, and honestly that’s all we need.” P’li had something new in her voice, a triumphant sort of fury that sounded a great deal like joy. And yet, it clearly wasn’t joy… it was something else, it was-

“Hey I’ve got something to say, something to brighten up our little hunting trip.” Ming-Hua said in a droll, almost amused tone. That wasn’t the sort of tone Korra was expecting from her. There was a shifting of weight on the boat, probably Ming-Hua standing up, and suddenly the water around Korra began to churn. She began to struggle but it was already too late.

“I think a little fish followed us!” She said in a teasing tone, bending the water up, and bringing Korra with it. She was now suspended in an orb of water, hovering just above the boat in sight of everyone.

All four wore a different expression upon seeing Korra, and none of them were what she expected. Ming-Hua looked oddly pleased, almost like she was proud of Korra for following them this long. Ghazan wore a stunned smile, confused to see her, but nonetheless happy that she was here. Zaheer was trying his best to frown, but a faint smile threatened to take over the corners of his lips.

P’li however… She wore a mask of horror. The abject terror in her eyes was enough to chill Korra deeper than the icy water she was floating inside of. P’li looked close to tears, her face scrunched up in what could only be pain. As Ming-Hua gently set Korra down on the boat, P’li clenched her teeth and stumbled away from her, like Korra was some sort of diseased creature.

The years had changed the rest of the Red Lotus, and Korra took a moment to look over her family. 

Ming-Hua looked… nice? Her hair had been recently cut and styled, a far cry from the tangled net of knots she usually wore it in. She wore a dark black Fire Nation dress and there was an unfamiliar fullness to her cheeks. Whatever she had been up to since she left, she was taking much better care of herself.

Ghazan had put on more muscle, looking far more fit than he had been the last time she saw him. He wore a black robe with blue ribbons around his waist. His mustache was tidy and his hair was tied up in a top knot like Zaheer. A new scar ran up his neck to the bottom of lip. It looked bad, but it seemed like it had healed cleanly.

P’li… her hair was still in a long braid, but it had returned to the shaggier state she preferred when she had chosen to live apart from Zaheer. She wore a modern leather outfit with her usually light armor on top. Her face was… still twisted into the haunting expression she had the moment she saw Korra.

“Look at you! I actually bet Ghazan thirty yuan you would follow us! I knew I could count on you kid!” Ming-Hua gave Korra an affectionate head-butt, a gesture she often did in place of a hug. Water-arms tended to give very soggy hugs as it turned out.

Ghazan ruffled the short hair on top of Korra’s head, laughing as he fruitlessly tried to brush off the water soaking her clothes. “I didn’t even see you! Were you under water the whole time? We are hours away from the city! You’ve gotten better Korra!”

The sudden rush of praise fell on deaf ears, as Korra had yet to break eye contact with P’li. Zaheer made no motion to approach Korra, and he said nothing to reprimand her. He simply stood to the side of the boat, arms crossed and his expression almost entirely blank. Was his silence the same as his approval? Was he testing her to see if she had the guts to defy his orders?

Korra broke free from the hugs and head-rubs to stand in front of P’li. Her heart was pounding in her chest, both from the long swim to get here, and the excitement of seeing P’li again.

Unsure what to say, Korra sputtered out the first thing that came to her mind “I- I beat Zaheer. We were sparring and I-”

“You shouldn’t have come here.” P’li said, her voice booming across the quiet night air. There was more fear in her voice than there was anger, but there was still enough anger to silence everyone else on the boat. The joyful words from Ming-Hua and Ghazan stopped, and they both froze in their tracks.

Her excitement quickly melted into anger, and Korra found her voice again. “So? I’m ready to join you! I’m done being hidden away while the rest of you-”

P’li sprung forward, grabbing Korra by the shoulders roughly. “The mission changed! It’s too dangerous for you! I  _ told _ Zaheer not to bring you!”

The anger inside Korra froze, turning into a deep pain she didn’t know how to process. P’li was the one who kicked her out of tonight’s mission? Why would she do that? Didn’t P’li miss her the same way Korra did? For the first time in years, tears started to well up in Korra’s eyes. It didn’t hurt this way when Zaheer was cruel to her, cruelty was to be expected from him. 

“She can stay with me, I have the easiest job tonight.” Zaheer said quietly. P’li let go of Korra, and slowly turned her molten gaze onto him. “You can still finish the mission on your own, I’ll make sure Korra stays out of harm's way.”

P’li strode across the boat, grabbing Zaheer by his collar, lifting him into the air. From this angle, it almost looked like she was about to throw him into the water. His expression remained placid, almost as if this was nothing more than a casual disagreement. “You know what this means! You know why! How…  _ DARE YOU? _ ” P’li roared, her voice echoing across the water like a clap of thunder. The air around her shimmered with heat as her anger grew. Ming-Hua and Ghazan were unsure what to do, bracing themselves for the growing possibility of a fight.

Korra’s whole body shook with confusion and pain. What had she done wrong? Why was P’li acting like this?

Zaheer held up both hands, in a mock sign of surrender. “We only have one shot. You said so yourself. If we turn around to drop off Korra, we miss out on that chance. We don’t have a choice anymore.”

His words must have gotten through to her, and P’li slowly set Zaheer back down on the floor of the boat. She released him, her fingers still curled into a claw as she pulled back. With her breathing ragged, she knelt down and began to shiver like she was in a great deal of pain.

Tentatively, Korra stepped forward, placing a hand on P’li’s shoulder. She could still feel the heat radiating off the massive woman's trembling body. “What did I do wrong? Why can’t I go on this mission? Why don’t you want me here?” As soon as Korra spoke the words, the tears broke free, streaming down Korra's face.

P’li turned to face the girl, her own tears beginning to well up. “I wanted you here Korra… I was counting the days until you could join us. I just-” She shuddered, and grabbed Korra in a sudden and violent hug. Korra buried her face into P’li’s shoulder, losing herself in the warm feeling she had almost forgotten. She was finally home again.

P’li took a deep breath and looked back at Korra with sadness growing on her face. “We were going to attack a White lotus prison ship… it was going to be a simple mission. We would break out an old ally and sink a lightly guarded ship. But for some reason the prisoner being transported was changed at the last minute…”

P’li wiped the tears away from Korra’s face, the final words getting caught in her throat. “The man being transported now, he- … When I told you that someone hurt me a long time ago, this is the man who hurt me. His name is Shishio. I didn't want you here, because I am going to kill him tonight.”


End file.
